Give Children Books, Not SATs

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SCHOOLS The children's laureate, Michael Rosen, is a fierce critic of the Government's education policies. He's against testing - and wants pupils to be excited by literature again. Andy Sharman talks to him

Michael Rosen, the children's laureate, can't help but feel a tinge of glee at the recent SATs fiasco. "There is a bit of schadenfreude, if you like," he says, "a bit of celebration at their misfortune" - meaning the misfortune of the Government; or the Department for Children, Schools and Families; or ETS; or head teachers; or advocates of testing. Take your pick, Rosen has multiple gripes with multiple people when it comes our education system.

The writer …