REFORMS to school accountability criteria pioneered by ex-education secretary Michael Gove are making kids increasingly anxious, new research published yesterday suggests.

Academics Merryn Hutchings and Naveed Kamzi have revealed pupils are “losing motivation” as a result of a narrowing curriculum, in an interim report which forms part of an ongoing research project for the National Union of Teachers.

Mr Gove introduced four new league table measures in 2013, including grading schools and ramping up the importance of their performance in relation to one another.

But a survey of 8,000 teachers found 84 per cent thought social and emotional aspects of education had been compromised in the focus on academic subjects.

Ninety-seven per cent said less time was being spent on subjects other than English and maths.

And 96 per cent said increased pressure meant they did not have enough time to focus on individual needs.

NUT general secretary Christine Blower said: “Whichever government emerges after the May election, one thing is for sure.

“The stifling and damaging effects of Ofsted, high-stakes testing and excessive workload simply must not continue.”