"committed to national testing and performance tables"

I read this article in the Observer this morning that calls for all testing under 16 to be scrapped as it hasn't improved education, but just introduced (new levels of) pressure for children and young people across the country. The government's response was 'we are firmly committed to national testing and performance tables'. To which the response is, 'yes we know, we want you to be firmly committed to education.' The government spokesman goes on to say: 'Parents need and greatly value the information they get from tables.' I'm not sure parents were that bothered before they were introduced and anyway, the concern should for the young person's education, not on the parents ability to choose (which is a myth and detrimental anyway).  The government's commitment to performance tables and excessive targets has not brought freedom and choice as was promised. It has just accentuated the gap between the strong and the weak, the rich and the poor, the successful and the failing. See The Trap for more on this argument.