National testing 

The QTU continues to remain opposed to the publication of the 2008 National Assessment Program — Literacy and Numeracy [NAPLAN] results on individual school websites or in any other public fashion for the following reasons:

• The tests themselves are invalid.
• They were designed to test a National curriculum that doesn't yet exist.
• The tests were based on the Victorian/NSW curriculum which test students at a developmental age aproximately one year in advance of Qld students.

The QTU is well aware of inconsistencies in marking and processing the 2008 tests as they were rushed through for political reasons by the Federal Education Minister. In fact there are some schools where the results are still being challenged.

While the QTU understands that the previous data for the year 3,5 and7 Qld tests was published on school websites those tests were at least consistent with the Qld curriuculum and had some validity. The 2008 NAPLAN tests CANNOT be compared in any way with what was there previously. In fact any educator in schools knows full well that these tests are educationally invalid and for that reason alone they are useless results for schools to use in any meaningful fashion apart from some diagnostic purposes.

The whole process has been a political response to a longer term issue - that is the chronic underfunding of public schools as demonstrated by the previous federal government. The Rudd government has done nothing to address that issue yet and until that occurs we can test students as much as we like but without decent funding for much needed resources we will not improve student results. The curent federal minister doesn't appear to understand the mistakes made by her predecessors and continues to focus on the failed UK and USA systems. While the politicians ponder the students flounder.

The Queensland state minister is continuing this absurdity by expecting that by publishing the Queensland NAPLAN results his political problems will go away.

This latest kneejerk political response does no more than provide a political solution with no thought given to the educational needs of students. The Queensland government continues to fund education at the 2nd lowest level of all the Australian states so it should be no shock to us when the results indicate Queensland students also being second last on a national basis.

This latest move is stupid, educationally unsound and will not inform any parent or student as to the capabilities or otherwise of their local school.

The QTU has not been consulted by the department or government on this issue and condemns both parties on choosing to take this initiative in stealth while schools administrators and teachers are taking a well deserved break from the classroom at this time.

The QTU believes that School administrators, teachers, parents and students are being used as pawns in a political game that has no place in the classrooms of this state. Nothing more nothing less.


Steve Ryan
QTU President

[page updated: 19 December 2008]