There is growing concern about the mental wellbeing of young people, including how this is related to national tests. This is a particularly important policy issue in England, where it is claimed that the end of primary Key Stage 2 tests cause schools, pupils and teachers stress.
Professor John Jerrim investigates this issue using data from the Millennium Cohort Study, comparing the wellbeing of pupils in England (measured around the point they are sitting their Key Stage 2 tests) to the rest of the UK (where Key Stage 2 tests are not taken).
No evidence is found that the Key Stage 2 tests in England is associated with lower levels of happiness, enjoyment of school, self-esteem or children’s mental wellbeing. Likewise, no evidence is found that children who are happier, more self-confident or with higher levels of wellbeing obtain higher Key Stage 2 test scores.
About John Jerrim, Professor in Educational and Social Statistics, Institute of Education, University College London:
John’s research interests include the economics of education, access to higher education, intergenerational mobility, cross-national comparisons and educational inequalities. He has worked extensively with the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) data. He also values disseminating hard-to-understand quantitative analysis for a wider audience, and his Twitter account can be recommended. Want to know more? Visit johnjerrim.com.