‘Cancelling’ NAPLAN the Perfect Cover for Sliding Student Results

Commentary Cresta Richardson, head of the Queensland Teacher’s Union, has declared that the 1.3 million children preparing to sit the NAPLAN test should be spared the test because it’s too “stressful” for them. It is not surprising that she is calling for a boycott of testing, because NAPLAN testing exposes a complete failure of our education sector to teach students how to read and write. Year after year, NAPLAN results are proof that something is going very wrong in our schools. Last year, we learnt that a third of all Australian students are failing to meet proficiency standards in literacy and numeracy....