Three quarters of teachers say that NAPLAN is ineffective as a method of assessing students according to the latest “State of our Schools” survey.
The Australian Education Union (AEU) 2020 State of our Schools survey, with more than 12,000 responses from public school principals and teachers, has confirmed that NAPLAN is not effective, increases pressure on teachers, student stress and anxiety and too much class time is spent in preparation for the test.
According to the survey results:
- Teachers
- 75% of teachers do not believe NAPLAN is effective for school comparison;
- 74% of teachers do not believe NAPLAN is effective for measuring school performance
- 85% of teachers do not believe NAPLAN improves student outcomes
- 56% of teachers do not believe NAPLAN is effective in helping to identify areas to focus to improve student outcomes
- 94% of teachers believe NAPLAN contributes to student stress and anxiety
- 74% of teachers say the publication of NAPLAN data has led to increased pressure on teachers
- 66% of teachers say that NAPLAN increases their workload
- School principals
- 73% of school principals do not believe NAPLAN is effective for school comparison
- 87% of school principals believe NAPLAN contributes to student stress and anxiety
- 78% of school principals believe NAPLAN increases teacher workload
- 75% of school principals do not believe NAPLAN improves student outcomes
Australian Education Union Federal President Correna Haythorpe said the survey clearly demonstrated the antipathy felt towards NAPLAN by the overwhelming majority of the teaching profession.
“The results of this survey are unequivocal. The vast majority of teachers and principals have indicated that NAPLAN is not fit for purpose in our schools”,” Ms Haythorpe said.
“Teachers and principals regard NAPLAN as a major source of student stress and anxiety, not benefitting student outcomes, and wasting valuable face-to-face teaching time in the classroom,” Ms Haythorpe said.
“NAPLAN reduces student progress to a number on a spreadsheet – it does not take into account teachers’ informed judgement, or the daily learning that occurs in the classroom,” Ms Haythorpe said.
“There is no doubt that NAPLAN places pressure on students, families and teachers. Assessment must be holistic and connected to the teaching and learning which happens in schools every day.”
Ms Haythorpe said that no amount of restructuring or change would address the concerns that the teaching profession held about NAPLAN.”
“The AEU calls on the Education Council to take the lead by scrapping NAPLAN, and developing a new assessment framework based on sample testing in comprehensive consultation with the teaching profession and its union, the AEU,” Ms Haythorpe said.
