Christian Comment with Barrie Voyce, Chief Executive Officer of The Door Youth Project

AT THE moment, children and young people are facing tests and exams throughout our schools.

A recent study revealed that stress levels in 10 and 11 year olds during SATs (Standard Assessment Tests) were so high that 17 per cent could not eat, 22 per cent could not sleep, and some even turned to smoking cigarettes.

Those taking GCSE, AS and A level exams face even higher stress levels.

Our children are led to believe that “These are the most important weeks of your life” as I once heard a head teacher tell an assembly full of nail-biting 16 year olds.

At The Door we support hundreds of young people each year, and many are incapacitated by the stress and pressure put on them by the education system.

I can give you countless stories of self-harm, eating disorders, disaffected behaviour and suicidal thoughts which stem from this kind of stress.

Some will argue, perhaps, that exposure to stress is preparation for ‘life in the real world’ where stress levels at work and home can be high.

But I’m not sure how many adults are subjected to a period of six weeks’ worth of examination every two years in order to demonstrate how well we’ve been doing our jobs.

I’m also not sure how well any of us would cope with that kind of pressure either.

I’ve upset many senior teachers by telling students that GCSEs and A Levels aren’t the be-all and end-all after all.

At worse you can re-sit the exams again, and the reality is, once you reach your mid-20s GCSE grades don’t figure too highly in an employer’s decision whether to appoint.

Furthermore, as a Christian, I know that God values us regardless of our academic successes.

Unlike college or university offers, His love is unconditional.

Our worth comes from Jesus’ actions of living, dying and being resurrected, and from the way we chose to respond to that – through following God’s plan for us and not the one the world is offering.

There’s no test or exam with God – only a loving relationship between Him and us.