PARENTS are being urged to back a Lancashire-based campaign to halt a "teaching to test" regime in schools.

Letters have been sent out to schools in East Lancashire as part of a push to get Standard Assessment Tests (SATS) axed.

The National Union of Teachers wants governors and head teachers to pass a motion in opposition to the present system in a bid to halt further restrictions on teaching.

Ken Cridland, Lancashire NUT secretary, said: "We have been surprised by the depth of feeling of teachers, parents and even pupils on this issue.

"Government tests have not bedded in as the government has claimed. The strength of the opposition to them is growing and growing."

At present, schoolchildren are tested at the age of seven, 11 and 14 when they come to the end of each key stage.

If they continue with their education, this is followed with GCSE, AS levels and A2 - or A level - exams at the age of 16, 17 and 18.

The NUT believes the culture of testing has gone too far since it was introduced in 1988.

Tests are blamed for a narrowing of the curriculum, increased stress among children, extra anxiety for teachers and parents and unfair performance tables between schools.

Now the NUT, the largest teaching union, wants to see National Curriculum testing abolished in favour of a system that relies on teachers' judgment alone.

And the union has targeted local teachers, sending them letters in the hope they will get parents to support the widespread opposition to testing.

Local delegates have also proposed possible strike action by the end of the term.

More than 1,000 school headteachers and chairs of governors across Lancashire have been targeted.

They have been asked by the union to send leaflets to parents asking for their support.

A union survey is being circulated among teachers and union representatives are also visiting town centres with petitions. They are due to visit Blackburn in the coming weeks.

SATS are used as indicators by the government to show where schools are doing well or badly.

Teachers can use the tests to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of pupils so they can identify areas to concentrate on.