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January 08, 2013 - 12:19 PM
VICTORIA - The Opposition New Democrats are promising to revamp the provincewide Foundation Skills Assessment tests in B.C. schools if they win the election in May.
But NDP education critic Robin Austin says the party isn't about to completely scrap standardized testing of Grades 4 and 7 students.
He says the New Democrats, who introduced the controversial tests, will remodel them to measure more than students' writing and math skills.
The B.C. Teachers' Federation is applauding the Opposition, saying the current tests, which are set to start next week, are not a good measure of the education students receive.
The plan to broaden the tests is one of the few election campaign promises the NDP has made so far, along with taxing banks to provide post-secondary students with non-refundable grants, restoring corporate income tax rates to 2008 levels and ditching the balanced budget law.
Austin says the NDP's redesigned school tests will not be a rubber-stamped wish list by the teachers' union.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2013