NAPLAN Is Staying For Now, But Some Things Could Be Changing in the Future

There's going to be a review of the NAPLAN test but it's not the type that everyone wants.

After many complaints about the NAPLAN test being an archaic form of testing students, it seemed like we might be heading for its removal. 

But many dreams were quelled after the Minister for Education and Training, Simon Birmingham, reaffirmed that the NAPLAN would be staying as it is.

He confirmed in a doorstep interview that the NAPLAN would remain the same because of the "importance of consistent national benchmarking and assessment of students in relation to their literacy and numeracy skills."

"I don't understand why anybody would want to undermine what is a fundamental in terms of the way in which students achieve and build their knowledge and skills," Minister Birmingham continued.

"We won't succeed at school without basic literacy and numeracy skills and NAPLAN is certainly a good check to make sure that those skills are being developed."

Student Edge conducted a survey of more than 250 students who had recently completed the NAPLAN test across Australia and when asked if they would support getting rid of the test, 63 per cent said they would.

Students complained that they knew the results didn't affect their schooling grade so they didn't put much effort into it, whereas others felt that the schools pushed for better marks 

"I believe it shouldn't exist in schools since the school doesn't care about you they only care about what score you get and how it makes the school look," one student wrote.

Another student believed that a national assessment was a good idea but felt that it needed an update, so that its purpose was "more suitable and applicable."

Simon Birmingham is so out of touch. Of NAPLAN he says,”It is not something that should be made a big deal of ...”
Dear minister NAPLAN is now so high stakes it hinders every teacher in every school from doing their job. YOUR job is to do something about it.

— Maralyn Parker (@MaralynParker) June 22, 2018

Minister Birmingham did, however, confirm that a narrow review would be held to look at how parents and students can compare their school's results to another's.

In order to compare school results at the moment, you must click on each school individually and compare notes.

He explained that this was not a review into the actual NAPLAN test, but rather how the results are displayed.

"The review is a review looking at the publication of data as it relates to NAPLAN. It's not a review into NAPLAN testing or the way in which assessments are undertaken," Minister Birmingham explained. 

"The next round of NAPLAN will be undertaken, as per usual, focusing on the basic literacy and numeracy skills of Australian students."

So, for those hoping that this debacle would get resolved by next year's exam time, it doesn't look like you're in luck.

Photo: NBC