Teachers did not back calls to stop next year's primary school tests

A National Union of Teachers ballot failed to generate enough support for industrial action in English schools.

Although a majority of teachers who voted supported a boycott, the turn-out was too low for action to go ahead.

Teachers' union moderates will see this as showing there is little grassroots support for militant action.

The union's general secretary, Doug McAvoy warned that the government "should take no comfort from the results of the ballot" as over 80% of those who voted were in favour of boycotting the tests.

Stress

"The government should be under no illusion that the strength of feeling against tests remains undiminished," said Mr McAvoy.

Test boycott result Supporting a boycott: 30,452 Against a boycott: 4,875 Unreturned votes: 68,402 Vote needed for boycott: 51,866

Teachers say that the tests, in English, maths and science, cause unnecessary stress for pupils and narrow the curriculum, with schools spending too much time on tests which will determine their ranking in league tables.

The motion in favour of a boycott required at least 51,866 votes - but it only attracted the backing of 30,452. Another 4,875 members voted against a boycott. Only about a third of ballot papers were returned.

But the government, already under pressure from opposition to its tuition fees proposals, is likely to be relieved that it will not be facing a head-on battle with the biggest teachers' union.

Education Secretary Charles Clarke welcomed the union's decision not to boycott tests, saying: "It would have let down pupils and parents. National testing helps drive improvement in all schools."

Despite persistent campaigning by teachers' unions, the government has stuck to its regime of "tests, tables and targets", saying that school performance should be monitored and results made available to parents.

'Moral purpose'

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Mr Clarke has said there is a "clear moral purpose" behind the tests and that to boycott them would amount to a "gross betrayal of children".

Despite the lack of support for a boycott, the NUT says that teachers are still opposed to the tests - and suggest that the way is now open for a broader coalition of teachers' unions against the tests.

The second largest classroom union, the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers, did not support calls for a boycott, arguing that it was not clear that such action would be legal.

The traditionally-moderate teachers' union, the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, described the ballot result as a "victory for common sense".

The decision not to disrupt next year's tests was welcomed by the Conservatives' health and education spokesman, Tim Yeo.

"Tests are a useful measure of standards, both for teachers and parents. The real problem for schools and teachers is the government's imposition of national targets based on the test results which do not serve any useful purpose," said Mr Yeo.

The NUT's decision did not "let the government off the hook on testing", said the Liberal Democrats' education spokesperson, Phil Willis.

"All activities in our schools must be designed for the benefit of children, not for meaningless government statistics," said Mr Willis.