Abolition of Sats... when will the new beginning begin though?

Teachers' unions and opposition parties welcome abolition of Sats | Education | guardian.co.uk: "He said the Tories would argue for fewer and more rigorous tests, less bureaucracy and more freedom for professionals, and a commitment to excellence for all – underpinned with a special focus on the most disadvantaged."

Okay... first of all... good news on SATS going for 14 yr olds (should go for all ages, in my opinion, but that's by the by!)... but... secondly, isn't the above little quote kinda scary??

"more rigorous tests"

Here's something which ties in with the above...

Main Entry: rig·or

Pronunciation:\ˈri-gər\

Function: noun

1 a (1): harsh inflexibility in opinion, temper, or judgment : severity (2): the quality of being unyielding or inflexible : strictness (3): severity of life : austerity b: an act or instance of strictness, severity, or cruelty

Yes... yes... more of those 'rigorous' tests, please. That's bound to help. Back to the 'good old days', huh? *rolls eyes* And while we're at it, let's give a 'special focus on the most disadvantaged' (in that vague politician-esque, unspecified kind of way which neither defines disadvantage nor explains what form that focus will take)

Tweak, tweak, tweak with a system which shoehorns kids in at a far younger age than other European countries, teaches them to pass tests... and then looks shocked when they emerge, aged 18, with a clutch of qualifications but no love of learning or depth of understanding. Wonder who's going to be brave enough to do more than tweak and spout meaningless rhetoric?