SCRAPPING testing for Welsh children will fail unless it is backed with enough cash - says the expert who recommended Sats be abolished.

National testing for 11-year-olds and 14-year-olds was removed from schools in Wales following advice from Professor Richard Daugherty. But the man who did an independent review of assessment has warned the Assembly government that unless adequate funding to train teachers was made available, that initiative could fail.

He asked a conference in Cardiff, "Is the Assembly government going to resource the professional development associated with assessment for learning, and moderation? Unless it does, it is making a pretty good case for not working, because the professional development element is essential for the system to work."

The moves to scrap the Sats were welcomed by teachers who had long complained that education had become centred on teaching to the test and campaigned for Sats' abolition. But they also agreed last night that a suitable replacement was needed to keep standards high.

Yesterday Prof Daugherty said, "We had been putting a lot of money into designing, making and producing the Sats and that involved central funding. I would like to be assured that the funding that has been released from reducing tests will be redirected towards developing teachers.

"Teachers don't want to be left to work it out for themselves.

"I think we have a real chance in Wales to be a learning country. I don't want us to fluff it, I want us to be proud and prove we can do it really well in Wales, but we've got to think through how we do that."

Part of his recommendations rely on using teachers' judgments at Key Stages 2 and 3.

"If we are to do that, teachers themselves must be confident they are making the judgments in a way that is consistent with other teachers, that's why we have moderation of their judgments in place. But teachers need to be able to work through those with each other, which takes time and money.

"There are plans in place to do that, it's just a case of how well funded it will be."

Part of the overhaul involves assessment for learning where teachers explain how children are progressing in a way that allows them to improve their learning or encourages self-evaluation.

Previously the Sats simply indicated how well a child was doing at the time of the test.

Geraint Davies, of NASUWT Cymru, said, "We've always had a concern about teacher assessments, as a union, because they could lead to an increased work load for teachers.

"Teacher assessment needs to be fully funded, and there is a danger that if done on the cheap, the increased burden will fall on the teachers."

An Assembly government spokeswoman said, "We have already announced the provision of additional training days for moderation of teacher assessments and the inclusion of eligible activities related to the enhancement of teacher assessment in the Better Schools Fund for 2006/07. Detailed consideration of training and professional development needs associated with assessment for learning and its role within the new framework will be undertaken when we have a clearer understanding of how the new arrangements will look.

"A consultation on the proposals will be published next academic year setting out details of the new arrangements at both Key Stages 2 and 3."