NAPLAN Tests

I am not certain how many of you saw the news this morning where a teacher has been accused, and stood down, for manipulating NAPLAN tests in her classroom. Similarly, most of you would be aware of calls by the Australian Education Union to boycott the tests – this action was averted at the last minute through serious talks with Julia Gillard and direct intervention to ensure the tests went ahead. Most of you would probably have engaged in discussion within your schools about the use of those results on the new Federal Government website regarding schools.

I guess there is no simple answer to all of this. There are a great many parents who welcome the infromation from the Naplan testing as it gives them a broad picture of where their child stands up against the rest of his/her peers around the country. However, there are also a significant number of parents who are upset, angry and dismayed, for they already know that their child is succeeding below benchmark, and having their child sit these tests, already knowing they are going to fail…. well, it is heart-breaking and sad to see any child’s self-esteem chipped away.

With the empthasis on success rates, and high achievement in schools, I still wonder at the traditional lack of funding for appropriate resources for the children who are struggling. With it becoming harder and harder to prove need, the job of teaching children wtih so many learning challenges is becoming more and more of an issue for classroom teachers. I am not certain what the answer is, but I am glad that some of the main issues behind Naplan tests can be discussed in a rational way. The profession of teaching is under such scrutiny at the moment  – let’s hope with valid debate, we can fine-tune the education system to be equitable to all children.