Four weeks after 1.3 million children nationwide sat the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy test or NAPLAN, Australian schools have started receiving the results, with the full report expected in August. Could they be worse than those of 2023?
Last year’s national report card was a clear fail. As far as results go, the 2023 NAPLAN scores painted a grim picture of Australian education despite schools telling parents to keep struggling students at home on testing days and despite changes to assessment terminology that make it harder to meaningfully compare new and previous figures.
This is also despite $AU72 billion worth of funding in the previous federal budget, which is a record annual sum for the education system. Since NAPLAN testing commenced in 2008, $AU662 billion has been spent on our schools.
Despite financial support, Australian students are now twice as likely to fail than excel in both Maths and English. Out of the 1.3 million students who sat the test in 2023, around a third (430,000 students) performed below expectations reflecting a trend of decline in numeracy and literacy – basic life skills. Only 15 per cent (roughly 200,000 students) performed above the expected standard.
The decline is particularly stark in certain segments of Australian schools. Two thirds of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders students failed to meet baseline standards in 2023.
Teachers like Jadon Atkinson, a primary teacher at Kingsbury Primary School, see results from the 2023 NAPLAN report card as a wakeup call to the country.
In only his second year of teaching, Atkinson has experienced the difficulties of managing not only classroom behaviour, but ensuring every student is meeting the expected requirements.
He says it’s important for parents and carers to also keep track of learning, and that the responsibility of a student’s progress doesn’t just fall to teachers.
“We encourage parents to be involved with their children’s learning and progression,” Atkinson says.
“Parents need to step up, both in terms of helping their children form good learning habits and to revise difficult concepts – they shouldn’t be shut out of their children’s experiences and decisions throughout their schooling journey.”
The 2023 NAPLAN results revealed a significant disparity for Aboriginal students in Victoria, with 21.5 percent of Indigenous students falling into the “needs additional support” category, compared to 6.8 percent of non-Indigenous students.
Atkinson has noticed with concern that students with Indigenous backgrounds in his classes seem to find the work and content harder to consume, compared to non-Indigenous students.
“I find that the work we teach students, especially Indigenous students, is work which isn’t culturally sensitive which can make it more difficult to learn,” he says.
Despite this gap, Victoria did lead the country on average testing scores, with the Northern Territory struggling the most in all categories in NAPLAN testing compared to other states. The NT is geographically dispersed, with at least 66 percent of students living in remote or very remote communities. In response to the NT’s poor results, federal and territory governments recently announced a substantial funding boost of approximately $1 billion for struggling rural schools.
There are many factors leading to remote schools in Australia struggling compared to schools in other categories from the 2023 NAPLAN results. Lack of structure to schools and technological barriers, as well as not having access to reliable school resources or necessary technology, make it harder for some students to stay organised and focused.
But the big factor that is forgotten is the quality of teaching which in remote areas in Australia tends to not be as strong as metropolitan areas. One of the main challenges in remote areas is attracting and retaining qualified teachers. Remote locations don’t offer the same amenities or opportunities as urban areas, making it less appealing for some educators. This leads to a shortage of experienced teachers in these regions.
Limited access to resources such as technology, textbooks, and educational materials can impact the quality of teaching and learning experiences for students. In addition, cultural considerations and differences with remote areas often having diverse populations with unique cultural backgrounds make it difficult for teachers to adapt.
The quality of teaching is also related to the bigger picture of teaching degrees in Australia, and their value perceived as declining over the past few years. Victoria alone has experienced a sharp decline in young adults failing their teaching graduates, with enrolment in education courses slumping. Federal education minister, Jason Clare said that over the past decade, the number of young people entering the teaching profession had decreased by approximately 12 per cent. He also stated that only half of those who begin a teaching degree complete it, and among those who do, 20 per cent left the profession within three years.
Atkinson believes there needs to be more support and recognition of all teachers as it’s one of the hardest careers to embark on.
“Teachers need to start being valued more in society, [as] it’s never easy to manage a class of students,” he says.
“The workload and long hours, classroom management, pressure to meet standards and have all students on track with their learning is difficult to manage, and a job that I believe doesn’t get the credit it deserves.”
Ultimately, for students of all ages to succeed in the Australian education system, collaboration among teachers, parents, and the government is essential. Teachers should maintain engaging teaching methods, parents need to create a supportive home environment and actively participate in their children’s learning, and the government must provide ongoing support through funding, resources, and training programs.
