21 March 2022: From the President's desk
Response to changes to NAPLAN testing released by ACARA
The QTU remains firm in its resolve that NAPLAN testing is not fit for purpose and that NAPLAN in its entirety should be replaced by authentic forms of assessment that are designed and trusted by the teaching profession. It has been a decade without reform. The purpose of these tests, as we know, has been hijacked by over-reporting and underwhelming improvement at the systemic level in student literacy and numeracy results.
Last week’s announcement that the first “improvements” to NAPLAN in ten years will be made by simply moving the 2023 tests to Term 1 and including optional tests for Year 6 and Year 10 are absurd. Yet again our federal government has failed to understand the fundamental flaws within the NAPLAN testing regime, which is beyond frustrating for Queensland teachers.
The overwhelming majority of teachers and education leaders have deemed NAPLAN testing to be an ineffective diagnostic tool, the cause of a massive increase in workload, and of little or no benefit to students. Less expensive and more accurate assessment programs, designed by the profession, would provide much more insightful data on the health of the education system than national standardised testing.
The creation of NAPLAN league tables to compare schools and systems, as occurred last week, is a misuse of data. The test is touted as a means of supporting teacher and learning programs, but in reality it underscores the concern of educators across the country that simplistic and erroneous interpretation of NAPLAN results only leads to comparisons of schools and schooling systems.
The QTU will continue to advocate for the removal and replacement of NAPLAN testing. More information about the QTU’s ongoing NAPLAN campaign can be found here: https://www.qtu.asn.au/naplan
Cresta Richardson
QTU President
Authorised by Kate Ruttiman, General Secretary, Queensland Teachers' Union
21 Graham Street, Milton, QLD, Australia, 4064