The NAPLAN Crisis !

When NAPLAN was introduced it made a lot of sense to a lot of people.  The idea was to test all children on their reading and numeracy skills when they reached years 3, 5 , 7 and 9.  This overall picture would identify areas that needed more resources and give our educators a picture of how we compare with other world countries.

It seems that we are facing an ever increasing withdrawal rate as NAPLAN is attacked from both ends of the education system.   Some teachers are suspicious that it will be used to grade teaching skills and there has been a tendency for the weakest pupils in their class to be encouraged to take a "sickie " on test days.  On the opposite side of that spectrum, other teachers run their charges through virtual "boot camps " before the test and concentrate their classroom efforts into what amounts to "cramming " to achieve a better result - and of course this tends to skew the test results.

Now we are seeing a growing fad amongst some parents who believe that any sort of testing increases fear and anxiety in their children - and demand that they be voluntarily withdrawn from the tests.  This withdrawal rate rose from 1.7% in 2013 to an overall 2.1% now and the Australian Curriculum and Assessment Authority ( ACARA ) believes that even a one percent drop out nullifies the accuracy of the results.

We have seen how unproven ideas swiftly gain currency in the minds of parents with the growing rejection of vaccinations that are allowing some almost forgotten diseases to make a comeback. It seems to be an "over protection "syndrome, but the reality is frightening.  As the percentage of those vaccinated drops, we open the door for horrors like Polio to regain a foothold.  That disease has been almost eliminated on a world basis - until a handful of countries found religious objections to vaccination.

The danger is that rejection of NAPLAN may become a cause taken up by some people with social standing, just as actual associations have formed to publicly oppose any form of vaccination.  This message can quickly take hold and if misguided people withdraw an ever growing number of children from testing NAPLAN will simply collapse.

There is also a danger that shielding children from any form of competitive testing will fail to prepare them for what is inevitable at the end of their school years - the time when they will sit for their Higher School Certificate.   That is crucial to the income level that young adults may attain and it is the dividing point between university or the more mundane work force.  As the years progress, the doors to a vast range of professions are closing to those who can not provide at least basic tertiary qualifications.

The people at ACARA have a problem.  They need to "re-sell " NAPLAN to both parents and the teaching profession.  It would be desireable if teachers could constantly improve their teaching skills by refresher courses and such upgrades should be reflected in pay levels.  Unfortunately, that is anathema to the thinking of the teaching unions.

We probably need a campaign by people of stature in the business community to extoll the NAPLAN ideals and the benefits that will accrue.  This testing rejection is still in it's infancy.  Well presented logic would be helpful in countering the mindless innuendo that the "against everything " mob peddle and try to endow with legitimacy.

NAPLAN is worth saving !