Ed Balls, the Schools Secretary, personally endorsed the failed online marking system for national tests, despite admitting he knew it was a ‘risk’, it emerged today as parents’ groups called for the minister to scrap the tests for 11 to 14-year-olds.

Mr Balls has faced a barrage of criticism over the marking fiasco, but is reported to have sent a letter of support for the system just weeks before children took the tests.

Margaret Morrisey, spokesperson for The National Confederation of Parent Teacher Associations said parents feel totally let down by the Government and cannot trust the test results. “There is a general feeling that they can’t be relied on. And if we manage without them this year, why do we need them?”

Michael Gove, Shadow Schools Secretary, said the delay to results for 11 and 14-year-olds, had blighted the summer holiday for thousands of children who would not now know their results until September. A quarter of 14-year-olds are still waiting for their English results Mr Balls admitted yesterday.

Only five weeks before pupils took their tests, Mr Balls said in a letter to Ken Boston, the head of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, that he was “encouraged” by the “improvements in marking quality” that would be made this year.

He is also reported to have said in the letter, dated 30 March, that “online systems, although they confer many benefits, are also subject to risk when first introduced.”

But, he said he was pleased with plans for “mitigating the risk to the tests” and asked to be “kept informed” of progress.

Mr Balls has repeatedly refused to apologise for the marking debacle and insisted that responsibility lies with the QCA and ETS Europe the company hired to oversee the marking of the tests.

Estelle Morris, the former Education Secretary who resigned over A-level marking problems, said Mr Balls should use the shambles to overhaul testing in schools.

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