The SNP government has been slammed for "ploughing ahead" with P1 testing despite concerns about the policy from a senior figure in the party and opposition MSPs.
Toni Giugliano, the SNP's policy chief, has previously said testing four and five year olds as "compounding pressures and mental health problems".
In 2018 the Scottish Parliament voted by 63 votes to 61 for a motion calling for the government to halt tests among primary one pupils. Despite this there have been 280,000 tests carried out until July 13, 2022.
Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville, responding to a written parliamentary question from Lib Dem MSP Willie Rennie, said "there are no plans to discontinue national standardised assessments for P1 learners".
Rennie hit out at the SNP branding the tests a "waste of time", while the government said there was "no evidence of the assessments having a negative impact on the health and wellbeing".
The former Scottish Lib Dem leader added: "The SNP’s blinkered determination to plough ahead with P1 testing ignores the voices of parents, teachers, parliament and even their party’s own policy convenor.
"The unequivocal message from teachers has been and continues to be that these pointless tests tell them nothing that they do not know already. It is an utter waste of time and a dangerous blockade that gets in the way of learning for more than 40,000 children every year.
"In ignoring the will of parliament, the SNP are behaving in a profoundly undemocratic way. They seem to only want the Scottish Parliament to be a talking shop for independence. They don’t like accountability, transparency or doing what is best for our children. The Education Secretary is delusional if she thinks these tests are helping.
"Once upon a time that wasn't just the view of teachers and the Scottish Liberal Democrats, it was the Greens too. Now it seems they have folded and are part of a government that intends to carry on these tests.
"Scottish Liberal Democrats will stand up and make sure that the voices of teachers and parents are heard. It’s time to end the SNP’s standardised national testing and Thatcherite league tables."
A Scottish Government spokesperson backed the assessments saying it puts the professional judgements of teachers at the "heart of the process".
The statement read: "David Reedy's independent review of Scottish National Standardised Assessments (SNSAs) for P1 in 2019 found that they have significant potential and should continue.
"His recommendation on enhancing assessments and support materials for teachers have since been implemented. The assessment approach in Scotland place teacher professional judgements at the heart of the process.
"SNSAs are a helpful additional source of information for teachers when considering children's progress in literacy and numeracy. Our survey of staff using assessments in 2021/22 showed the majority found the assessments helpful in informing future teaching and learning. There is no evidence of the assessments having a negative impact on the health and wellbeing of children and young people."
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