MORE than 250 Watford parents have put their signatures to a countywide petition to abolish the controversial SAT examinations.

The petition opened to members of the public last weekend was drawn up by the South Hertfordshire division of the National Union for Teachers (NUT) as part of its nationwide campaign to put an end to compulsory examinations set by Year 6 pupils in key subjects – English, maths and science.

Angry parents, teachers and pupils were invited to sign the petition at an open stand manned by local members of the NUT in High Street, Watford on Saturday, June 7.

The petition will be used to support the NUT's latest proposal to boycott the 2004 SAT examinations which if supported by all it's Hertfordshire members could involve more than 3,000 teachers in schools across the county.

Ms Christianne Lyons a teacher at Queens' School and secretary for the Watford division of the NUT said: "The response from parents, teachers and students on Saturday was overwhelming.

"People want these tests to stop."

Students attending maintained primary and secondary schools nationwide are currently expected to sit a total of 75 different externally set tests form the day they enter to the time they leave at the age of 18.