The annual NAPLAN tests are simply not fit for purpose, according to public school teachers and principals.

AEU Federal President Correna Haythorpe said an overwhelming majority of public school teachers and principals questioned the effectiveness of NAPLAN testing.

“NAPLAN does not effectively measure student’s learning outcomes or correctly identify where teachers should focus
to improve student performance,” Ms Haythorpe said.

“It does not give parents an accurate assessment of their child’s educational achievements, nor does it take into account a teacher’s informed judgment or the daily learning that takes place in schools.

“What NAPLAN does is increase student stress and anxiety, cut into precious teaching time and add to teachers’ already overburdened workloads.

“This is in addition to problems rolling out online testing in recent years along with the interruptions of COVID in 2020.”

The AEU’s 2020 State of our Schools survey of 12,000 public school staff (teachers, principals and education support staff) found:

• Three-quarters (75 per cent) of teachers do not believe NAPLAN is effective for school comparison.
• Seventy-four per cent of teachers do not believe NAPLAN is effective for measuring school performance.
• A figure of 85 per cent of teachers do not believe NAPLAN improves student outcomes.
• Fifty-six per cent of teachers do not believe NAPLAN is effective in helping to identify areas to focus to improve student outcomes.
• Ninety-four per cent of teachers believe NAPLAN contributes to student stress and anxiety.
• Seventy-four per cent of teachers say the publication of NAPLAN data has led to increased pressure on teachers.
• A figure of 66 per cent of teachers say that NAPLAN increases their workload.
• Seventy-three per cent of school principals do not believe NAPLAN is effective for school comparison.
• Eighty-seven per cent of school principals believe NAPLAN contributes to student stress and anxiety.
• A figure of 78 per cent of school principals believe NAPLAN increases teacher workload.
• Three quarters (75 per cent) of school principals do not believe NAPLAN improves student outcomes.

“NAPLAN is simply not fit for purpose.” Ms Haythorpe said. “The Australian Education Union once again calls on the federal government to scrap NAPLAN and develop a new assessment framework based on sample testing in consultation with the teaching profession and its union.”