'Coy' 7-year-old tips off teacher that his spelling test was leaked online
LONDON -- British seven-year-olds probably thought they had it made when they sat a spelling test that turned out to be the practice test the government had published online.
The Department for Education's blunder was exposed when a student kept telling teachers, "I know this one, and this one," whilst taking the test.
You May Also Like
"One of the teachers asked him if he had seen this test before and he answered in a bit of a coy way," teacher Charlotte Smiles told the BBC.
"Because of the way this child was behaving, I went and checked on the DfE website and I found this exact test published as a sample paper.
"It's actually been there since January 26."
The DfE releases samples of its tests online to help parents, teachers and students prepare. Around half a million of these tests have been sent to schools, in sealed envelopes, ahead of Sats tests in the first week of May that are used to rank schools.
In this case, the school was one of around 700 primary schools trialling the test so it hasn't been widely administered. But there isn't enough time to rewrite the papers before the tests, according to Smiles.
The DfE said the error was "deeply regrettable" and it had removed the material from its website.
"We ask if anyone has seen the material that they do not share it further so the test remains helpful for those teachers who have to yet use it with their pupils," it said.
The opposition Labour Party took the opportunity to blast the DfE.
"The incompetence of Ministers at the Department for Education is breathtaking," said MP Lucy Powell, shadow Secretary of State for Education.
The Twittersphere wasn't too pleased, either.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
The DfE said an inquiry has been launched into how the leak happened.
Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.
Liza Hearon was the Deputy Editor for Mashable UK. Liza started her career in journalism writing about punk bands for a 'zine in Florida, and her wanderlust has led her to work for news organisations in Russia, Japan and now London. Prior to joining Mashable, she was the European homepage editor for the Wall Street Journal. Liza loves podcasts, karaoke and really, really spicy food.
