A Scottish council has voted to end controversial standardised testing for primary one pupils.

Fife Council became the first local authority to vote to end mandatory P1 national testing in the region from next year, by 41 votes to 26.

Disagreement between the SNP and Labour’s power-sharing administration led Labour to vote alongside the Lib Dems on Thursday to call a halt to the testing.

Schools are expected to revert to the Performance Indicators in Primary Schools (PIPS) system previously used across the region.

The move has been welcomed by Scottish Liberal Democrat leader and North East Fife MSP Willie Rennie.

He said: “Two months on from the Scottish Parliament’s vote to end the SNP’s national tests for P1s, and in the face of criticism from campaigners, teachers, parents and the EIS union, the Education Secretary continues to stubbornly plod on.

“It is now up to councils to see sense. Fife Council have done the right thing today.

“Teachers say national testing of five-year-olds wastes valuable class time and doesn’t tell them anything they do not already know.

“There is no logical, justifiable or democratic basis for it to continue.”

He added: “There was a clear majority on Fife Council for ending these tests.

“The SNP/Labour administration now need to work out how they will implement this vote so that no more young children in Fife have to be put through this counterproductive battery of tests.

“I hope that the other councils which have also been exploring putting a stop to this doomed policy will take heart from this vote.”

A statement from Fife Council read: “At a meeting of Fife Council earlier today, councillors agreed to withdraw from the P1 Scottish National Standardised Assessments scheme and replace it with PIPS assessments from the beginning of school session 2019-20.

“Scottish National Standardised Assessments will continue for P4, P7 and S3.”

Education Secretary John Swinney
Education Secretary John Swinney (Jane Barlow/PA)

Education Secretary John Swinney has faced calls to suspend the testing in Scotland’s schools, with children currently assessed in P1 P4, P7 and S3.

Scottish National Standardised Assessments (SNSA) were introduced last year by the Scottish Government in an effort to close the attainment gap in schools.

Teachers have claimed some P1 youngsters have been left shaking, crying and distressed by “unnecessary and cruel” national testing.

Earlier this year, Holyrood voted in favour of halting the SNSA for four and five-year-olds, although the 63 to 61 vote was not binding on the Scottish Government.

Following the vote, Mr Swinney announced an independent review of national testing for P1 pupils that would be “led by the evidence” and would be able to conclude that the testing regime could be reformed or scrapped altogether.

In the meantime, he has urged schools to continue with the tests this year to avoid “uncertainty and confusion”.