Monday morning, school assembly. The head teacher stands up at the front of the room. "I have a very important announcement," she tells the school. "No more exams!"

That is the idea behind a new book by Sammy Wright, an English teacher from Sunderland. According to, Exam Nation, schools should teach pupils how to be happy - not just how to pass tests.

Sammy Wright is not the only teacher to question the value of testing. Two respected academics reviewed all the research on "high-stakes" final exams, where the result of a single test has a big impact on the overall grade.

They found that this kind of testing does not help students retainTo keep hold of something. information or reliably measure their ability, it causes stress, is open to cheating and has little relevance to the workplace.

On the other hand, coursework is said to make cheating easier, continuous assessment is not good for deep learning, and teacher-only assessment might disadvantage poorer and ethnic-minority children.

For now, students will keep having to sit exams. But they should not be the only things that matter. As Sammy Wright explains: "School should teach you skills for living and loving and caring and being a member of society and understanding the world that you're in."

Should we abolish exams?

Yes! Exams are not a reliable measure of abilities. They cause stress, do not help students retain information, and may increase inequality.

No! Exams may not be perfect, but other methods of assessment are just as flawed. Testing is the best method we have for giving pupils an equal chance to do well.

FOR YOUR SUMMER READING CHALLENGE CLUE GO TO STEP SIX IN THE SIX STEPS TO DISCOVERY BELOW.