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Let’s start the NAPLAN debate again

The results are in…

I am not really opposed to the NAPLAN testing, but I certainly don’t love the idea of them.

My eldest is average at his academic work but excels in sport. He’s social and I don’t worry about him. He’s not struggling. I know he could do better at everything, but he’s not behind his classmates. I have checked this with his teacher a few times and we both know his strengths and weaknesses…

BUT then the NAPLAN arrived and it sort of left an icky feeling in the pit of my stomach. Some of the markers were way under what I expected. I couldn’t be angry at him, but I was also feeling a little disappointed. Is he not trying hard enough? Is he not taking things seriously? I know he’s a child, and I never ever want to put huge pressure on him. I’ve done my HSC and a Uni Degree. My Mum and Dad never put enormous pressure on me, but always taught me to try hard. I wondered if he just didn’t care about doing them and spent those couple of days just hoping for them to be over…

So whilst I know the NAPLAN is a very debatable subject, what do you think? Did you let your child do them this year? Is it compulsory in your school?

Yes, I watched the 60 Minutes story on it and I still sit on the fence…

Hmmmm being a parent is hard work!

PS. Good luck to anyone sitting their HSC!

11 comments

  • Robyn Elizabeth via Facebook

    Really, do you really want to go there?
    I personally prefer to ignore NAPLAN. As I see it so far…..NAPLAN achieves NOTHING!

    Reply
  • Anissa Kean via Facebook

    My children sat them. DD felt a bit flat after not achieving the average. Told her I don’t care about the result. Not a true reflection of children’s learning.
    Will make great paper for burning in the Mexican chimney

    Reply
  • Ness - lifeinourbluehouse

    I’m a teacher, and dislike Naplan.
    Originally it was a diagnostic test-which was useless as you get the results months later. It’s a test based on what the kid could do on one day. Now it’s used for MySchool, I loath it. Schools mess with results-encouraging some kids to stay home, by teaching to the test, rather than giving a broad look at subjects. Grrr, don’t get me started. Some kids don’t perform well in tests-especially days worth of tests.
    Speak to his teacher-see what she thinks he’s like in the day to day classroom. x

    Reply
  • Chrissie

    We have a young child about to start kinder with learning delays, so he probably will never score highly on these tests.
    As a parent, you want the best for your children, however, we have come to accept, that as long as he has the basic reading writing skills, then that is fantastic. His Physcologist has said, that, social skills are the biggest indicator on how a child will perform at school.

    Ah, the joys of having children!!

    Reply
  • Deanne

    my kids are home schooled so we don’t do the NAPLAN, but I think the danger is that it becomes the focus of the curriculum and all they do is work towards passing the test!

    Reply
  • Karen Price via Facebook

    I let my kids do them……….yes I read results, but then go on……..and if my children were ever asked to stay home I would make sure they were there ( if they skew the results, who cares ) ……………….I do remember doing the same kind of thing when I was at school, so it’s def not a new thing………….. It’s just another day to us 🙂

    Reply
  • julie

    My daughter in year 3 topped it with flying colours, and for someone in a tiny school of around 30 kids, this says absolutely fabulous things about the school as well as the student.

    NAPLAN is a double-edged sword. If used in the way it was originally intended, it would provide useful information about the state of literacy & numeracy at several levels – individual, school, state, and national. Yes, it gets skewed because some schools teach to it (as a former teacher, I have experienced this first hand), but then the question becomes, would you rather have skewed information or no information at all? I think I’d rather have some than none.

    MySchool is different. Combined with extra information about socio-economic background of the student population and funding, publishing the NAPLAN results in this way has substantial ramifications affecting enrolments and therefore future funding. I say keep the information for government and education, but don’t make all of it public – the schools at the lower end of the spectrum become increasingly disadvantaged as parents shop around for a “better” school. There is so much about those schools that is not reported – excellence in teaching, other programs that they may have in place, other areas where they excel.

    Reply
    • Katrina (author)

      I am still not convinced it’s a good thing. I’m ok with the MySchool part of it. Well done to your little girl! X

      Reply
  • Ash K

    I too have mixed feelings about NAPLAN. my 4th child has just received the year 7 results. I think it can be used as a tool, but as the results take so long to come through, I do question it’s effectiveness. I pay scant attention to the graph on the front page. I want to know the details. Going through the details with my daughter, there were areas that she was struggling with when the tests were done. Revising these with her and using other examples, it is clear that she now has a handle on them. Numerically she was way below the average. Going over it with her, it was clear she needs some help as her understanding has not grown since the test was done. This now means we (either me or an older sibling) are helping her with it which, in turn, is giving her greater confidence in working just a little harder at her difficulties.

    Standardised tests do concern me, but I think it always comes down with how the information outcome is utilised.

    Reply
  • Helen Haddow via Facebook

    I never take the results as gospel! My daughter who has always been a high achiever, had a mediocre result on one of her NAPLAN tests. The day of the Test she woke with the beginning of the flu, but I still made her attend as the school emphasized the importance that all students are tested. When her results returned and her teachers were dumbfounded to why she didnt perform better, I explained she wasnt well that day, and for her confidence would have been better if she didnt do the test! She was very upset when she read her results, as she knew it wasnt her usual standard. Then I was disappointed that the school used those results for class placements ( high to lower achievers) for the following year. Also far too much class time is used to prepare for the testing!

    Reply
  • Hannah

    I think NAPLAN puts unnecessary pressure on children. Life is stressful enough for them with such a full curriculum, etc. And….what about the schools who cheat (not my idea of good role models for our children).

    Reply

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