There is a widespread concern in schools that their true vocation is being hampered by an obsession with assessment at every level. Few professionals seem able to challenge the culture of measurement despite their deep reservations about its core values and practices.This study seeks to examine what is fundamentally wrong with an overemphasis on assessment. It explores widespread misuses of data and false claims about its efficacy. It outlines ways in which theological insights might inform the central concerns of a healthy and successful alternative paradigm.