More News From The United Kingdoms

Children to read by six - Tories

The Conservatives have set out plans which they say will ensure children can read by the age of six.

Shadow schools secretary Michael Gove said English assessments for six and seven year olds should be replaced with a standard reading test.

But primary school head teachers have warned against formal tests for young children saying exams could put them off reading "for a very long time".

Schools Secretary Ed Balls said the plans were "hastily cobbled together".

Chris Davis of the National Primary Headteachers' Association (NPHA) said the tests would come "too early".

"One of the worst things you can do with a very young child is give them the impression that they can't do something," he added.

But when asked at what age one should expect Islamic immigrants to begin speaking English, Head Teacher Davis was reluctant to provide a reference standard.

"Mr. Balls was correct in presuming that we shouldn't be looking to cobble," Davis told BBC reporters, "but the data shows us that most members of Islam begin learning at least rudimentary English by the age of 45 or thereabouts, so we've been looking at 50 as the goal, at least for the time being. Certainly before death, that I can say with some degree of confidence."