The Australian Education Union has warned against placing excessive emphasis on the NAPLAN results released today, arguing focus must be on ensuring all schools are receiving the funding and resources they need to deliver for students and raise student outcomes.
Correna Haythorpe, Federal President of the Australian Education Union said the
Turnbull Government’s school funding plan will make it harder for schools to
lift student results as it fails to deliver the vital resources to bridge the
gap of disadvantage many students face.
“Schools need proper funding and resources to lift results and achievement
levels,” said Correna Haythorpe, Federal President of the AEU.
“Unfortunately the Federal Government plan will not deliver the much-needed
funding that our schools require, meaning the Turnbull Government is leaving
some of our most vulnerable students without the support they need to succeed
at school.
“We know that proper funding makes a significant difference and lifts student
outcomes. Under the original Gonski Agreement the majority of funding was to be
delivered to schools in 2018 and 2019, so schools were still to see the full
benefit of needs-based funding.
“It is vitally important for schools to be able to invest in student learning
with additional teaching and educational support staff, literacy and numeracy
programs and early learning intervention. However, it is clear that Turnbull’s
plan will not deliver anywhere near the level of funding required by 2023,
leaving the vast majority of public schools well below the Schooling Resource
Standard (SRS).
“Lifting student outcomes does not mean simply lifting NAPLAN results.
“NAPLAN is just one test, a snapshot, and on its own provides a narrow and
incomplete picture of a student’s education and does not take into account the
high quality, broad curriculum and learning experience that schools provide.
“We need our students to have the opportunity to be engaged in their learning
with extra-curricular activities and a broad, high quality curriculum that will
help them develop the skills to enter the modern workplace.
“The reality is that the Turnbull Government’s education scheme will make this
much harder and will mean schools will not have the funding they need to
provide the support and resources our students deserve,” said Ms Haythorpe.
Media Contact: Siobhan
Lyttle 0481 751 579
