Member

Reading and handwriting play a critical role in the acquisition and retention of knowledge and in refining memory and comprehension. There is ample peer-review research indicating that increased reliance on technology tools for writing is detrimentally impacting handwriting skills, leading not only to reduced legibility and slower fluency but also the impairment of memory and comprehension. My Amendment 502YT would require all exam boards in secondary education to offer exams that are completed by hand unless proficiency in using the device is part of the subject or where it is more appropriate for a child with special educational needs. Evidence from the OECD shows that paper and computer-based testing can lead to different student outcomes and raises fairness both in access to technology and the capacity of schools to facilitate this. We are also worried about the shift away from play-based activities in the reception baseline assessment. To be clear, we thoroughly support having the assessment but not moving to a touch-screen approach, and this will be addressed by my Amendment 502YU.