PA
The Association of Teachers and Lecturers has said that some teachers' professional integrity is being undermined because of pressure to get good exam results for their school.
It claims that some members of staff have been forced to 'rewrite students work' and 'manipulate results'.
A survey of ATL members revealed a THIRD felt their integrity was being compromised by demands made on them.
The union polled 512 of its members who worked in state schools, and found that staff were under increasing pressure to get their students through their exams.
A third said they had helped their students prepare for tests by having meetings with them to discuss 'exam themes', while a quarter of teachers felt obliged to attend exam board seminars in order to help their pupils get ahead.
The BBC reports one primary school teacher as saying: "I have been forced to manipulate results so that levels of progress stay up, as our head fears [there will be] an Ofsted inspection should our results waver. I work in an infant school."
Another at an English secondary school said: "The school I work at definitely pushes the boundaries of exam integrity. Maintaining their "gold-plated" status by far takes precedence over developing the abilities of the pupils."
A teacher in a grammar school in Northern Ireland, claimed to 'virtually' rewrite students work to match the marking criteria.
The head of the ATL Dr Mary Bousted said that good results seemed to be more valued than actual learning
But a Department for Education spokesman said there is absolutely no excuse for teachers cheating, saying: "Parents will be absolutely outraged to hear anyone admit they've manipulated test scores. It undermines other staff, damages children's education and risks destroying the public's faith in the profession."
What do you think? Would you be outraged if your child's work was rewritten by their teacher? Or can you appreciate the pressure that staff are under?