Start exams from a younger age

Make children take more exams from a younger age to combat mental health disorders

Schools Minister Nick Gibb, addressing a joint hearing of the Education and Health Committees, expressed the view that it would be beneficial to children`s health for them to sit more exams earlier in school. He said that exam stress can be extremely deleterious, and can even lead to mental health problems later in life.

The minister opined that children as young as 12 should regularly take exams, ensuring they become accustomed to the pressures, which would allow the examinations to reveal their true academic potential.

Speaking to a group of MP`s in a discussion about children`s mental health, he clearly stated his views on acclimatising pupils to the stresses of exams:

`The way to deal with exam pressures is to make sure that young people take exams earlier on in their school career at the end of year seven, at the end of year eight and so on so they are used to taking exams,`

His views did not meet with universal agreement however - Labour MP Emma Hardy was adamant that, instead of alleviating the stress levels of children, having them take more exams would only add to their burdens. In her opinion these mental health problems are the result of a cumulative, year in year out cycle of revision and exams. Rather than inuring them to the effects of this cycle, having children take exams earlier would only cause more problems.

Emma hardy said that health problems caused by exams happen `because of a progressive build-up all the way throughout their years in school until they get to year 10 and they just can`t cope.`

This is in direct opposition to Nick Gibb`s theory, that multiple and regular testing of pupils earlier in their school career would have beneficial effects in the long term.

`You are talking about exam pressure that is constant, that is in every year group for every subject for every pupil. How many subjects in each year? Is it nine, is it 10? And they`re having to do that every single year,` Ms Hardy continued.

`You are giving our young people a constant, unending pressure for exams in every year group.`

I can see the merits of both points of view: Emma Hardy is saying you do not alleviate the pressure of exams by making children sit more exams; Nick Gibb is advocating the view that if children get used to taking exams then later on their GCSE`s and A-Levels will not be nearly so stressful. Back in the dark ages, when I attended a rather strict grammar school I was well used to taking exams. Barely a week seemed to go by without a teacher gleefully informing us that we would be tested, our academic abilities scrutinised, in with a test that would determine our very future. By the time I was due to sit my GCSE`s I must have taken hundreds of tests. Despite this lengthy apprenticeship, I was still terrified when I walked into the intimidating exam hall. I was painfully aware that I wasn`t in the (relative) comfort of a classroom, sitting at a table next to my friends. The barren isolation of hundreds of little desks, laid out in a matrix formation, with teachers strutting like sentries down the aisles, was something utterly new and terrifying. Added to this was the knowledge that these exams really mattered: if I didn`t get the requisite grades it didn`t just mean a `disappointed` message in red ink from my teacher - it meant that I couldn`t take the subjects I wanted to at A-Level, or that I would be denied entry to my university of choice. These exams really were life determining, and I knew it. Unless you can replicate those stakes, then I suspect having children take more exams from a younger age will only have a minimal effect on alleviating their anxiety.

There is growing concern about the stresses children are being placed under throughout their time at school. Tom Madders, Campaign director of Youngminds perhaps the leading charity in the UK championing the mental health and wellbeing of both children and young people gave his view on the matter at hand:

`The education system is fundamentally unbalanced, with a far greater focus on exam results than on the wellbeing of students. Schools that prioritise wellbeing also tend to do better academically, so it makes sense to focus on promoting good mental health rather than putting children under yet more pressure.`

In my opinion the best way to make exams less daunting is by ensuring pupils feel they are more than able to perform well in them. No one will be intimidated by a challenge they are certain they can cope with. This is quite easy to say of course, but in my opinion it is more germane to strive to ensure children are more confident taking exams because they believe they can answer the questions correctly, than to work to make them more relaxed about the exam process itself.