NAPLAN

[*elizabeths-mum*]

Why do parents cram their children to do well in it? My daughter tutors and that has been high on the demand list recently and I noticed the newsagency is full of books to prepare. Isn't it just a test to see where the gaps are so they can be remedied?

[rivergumblue]

I told mine not to stress over it, I know what problems they are having I try to help as much as I can I wish I could say the same for the school

[catsnknots]

My son got into the top 5% of most of the NAPLAN tests... he could do all of that stuff really well. 

Now look.. last term he got E's in nearly all subjects because he is struggling... 

NAPLAN is not a be all and end all like it is made out to be. 

[azureline**]

It isn't meant to be anything except a gauge to see if the children are being taught correctly and are at the national level. If they aren't, changes need to be made.

[lakeland27]

laplan versus nothing, no data . is a no contest. naplan has flaws, but nothing has more.

[daydream**believer]

My kids love doing the Naplan. They say its fun. And they love getting the results back

[*crikey*mate*]

well, that is how the media uses it, not the Education dept.

I beg to differ.

The concept originated from a need to scale our Education System against that of other country's so that we could compete on an international import/export platform.

2 years ago, (I haven't kept up with it since then) Education was Australia's 3rd largest export.

For every international student that we attract, it covers the cost of 6 of our own (statistics from 2 years ago - might be different now, but you get the idea) That means the Government (and the Australian Tax payer) do not have to find the funds to educate 6 Australian kids in the "free" education system.

[*crikey*mate*]

The National Assessment Program — Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) tests were first implemented in 2008.

These national tests replaced previous state and territory tests.

They provide information on how Australian students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 are performing in numeracy, reading, writing, spelling, punctuation and grammar.

But they take nothing else into account other than the child's performance on those days. Even then they are a snap shot in time.

As mentioned above - schools now spend a LOT of time preparing the kids for these tests and the style in which they are admisnistered.

Some kids are able to be excluded from the tests (as mentioned above)

So how, when these leagues tables are correlated, do they give a real indication of a school's performance?

How do you compare a selective school with all the mod cons and bells and whistles where entry is based on prior academic achievement to one where the kids have dirt floored classrooms and only have a teacher who speaks English 2 or 3 days a week?

Also - the grade 7 and 9 ones are a joke - as many schools only start at high school - so the performance of their students in grade 7 and/or 9 are realistically evaluation of the child's education before going to that school. How is that an accurate indication of a school's performance?

There is far more to an equal and just education than simplistic leagues tables and policy documents display, yet Governments award money based on them and parents select schools based on them.

[daydream**believer]

our school does not exclude anyone from the test, but if a parent chooses to exclude their child, then thats the parents choice.

Our school has been preparing the kids for the tests for 2 weeks.

[krazy.kiwi]

My son was asked to stay home in yrs 5 & 7. 😞

[*midgee*]

My little brother  is worried he will let his school down. Where he got that idea from I don't know but I feel the teachers may be putting pressure on kids to do well. His 15 year old sister has been giving him homework lol and helping out where she can. He is bright and need not worry but you can't tell him that. He wants to do well.