|
Below: a May, 2011 ABC news clip. As the Federal Government prepares to roll out national literacy and numeracy tests in school, an American education advisor has warned against such tests.
Below: a March, 2011, ABC 7.30 interview with Education Minister Peter Garrett. In it, Garrett discusses the MySchool website, NAPLAN testing and funding. Below: a video clip (undated) from the Australian Education Union, protesting that NAPLAN and MySchool can be used to create "league tables" which could disadvantage some government schools. Below: a January, 2010, video clip from the Australian Education Union. This clip features an Australian teacher who worked in England explaining her impression of the effect of "league tables" on students and school communities. |
 Web links, documents |
On September 17, 2011, The Courier Mail published a report by Tanya Chilcott outlining the reservations Independent Schools Queensland harbour about NAPLAN testing. The full text of this article can be accessed at http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/national-assessment-program-literacy-and-numeracy-naplan-not-a-true-test-of-schools/story-e6freoof-1226139371025
On June 10, 2012, The Punch published an opinion piece by Damien Leith looking at NAPLAN from a parent's perspective. Leith argues that NAPLAN actually impedes parents trying to decide which school their children should attend as it focuses too narrowly on performance in literacy and numeracy.
The full text of this opinion can be found at http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/my-problem-with-the-naplan-tests/
On November 26, 2012, The University of Melbourne's news site, The Melbourne Newsroom, published a report on the recent findings of a University of Melbourne research team investigating teacher attitudes and responses to NAPLAN testing.
The full text of this report can be found at http://newsroom.melbourne.edu/http%3A//newsroom.melbourne.edu/node/add/news/NAPLAN
On November 26, 2012, the journal of academic opinion, The Conversation, published an opinion piece written by Dr Nicky Dulfer, the head of a University of Melbourne research team which had studied the effect of NAPLAN testing as indicated by teacher perceptions of the process.
The full text of this opinion piece, titled 'Testing the test: NAPLAN makes for stressed kids and a narrow curriculum' can be accessed at http://theconversation.edu.au/testing-the-test-naplan-makes-for-stressed-kids-and-a-narrow-curriculum-10965
On November 26, 2012, The Sydney Morning Herald published an analysis by June Topsfield titled 'NAPLAN: is the pain worth it?'
The report analyses the finding of a recent University of Melbourne study of the effectiveness of NAPLAN testing. The study's findings are essentially critical. The full text of this analysis can be found at http://www.smh.com.au/national/education/naplan-is-the-pain-worth-it-20121125-2a1mf.html
On November 26, 2012, news.com.au published a news report presenting the views of Peter Garrett, the federal Minister for Education, on the recent survey findings critical of NAPLAN testing. The minister is sceptical about the survey findings, maintaining they are unrepresentative of teacher opinion.
The full text of this article can be found at http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/national/naplan-stress-causes-vomiting-insomnia/story-e6frfku9-1226523886560
On November 26, 2012, ABC Radio National's current affairs program PM presented responses to criticisms of the NAPLAN testing. Most of the respondents supported the testing.
A transcript of this program can be found at http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2012/s3641284.htm
On November 26, 2012, the Catholic archdiocese of Sydney issued a media release defending NAPLAN testing against recent criticisms. The full text of this media release can be accessed at http://www.sydneycatholic.org/news/latest_news/2012/20121127_812.shtml
On November 26, 2012, Wendy Tuohy, a columnist for The Herald Sun, posted a detailed comment on her blog in which she also defended NAPLAN testing against a number of the criticisms that have been made in relation to it.
The full text of this blog can be accessed at http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/theperch/index.php/heraldsun/comments/on_naplan_we_need_to_toughen_up/
On November 26, 2012, The Financial Review published an analysis by Joanna Mather which gave a detailed overview of some of the University of Melbourne research findings on the impact of NAPLAN testing on students and schools.
This analysis can be accessed at http://afr.com/p/national/education/naplan_dominates_teaching_b29zty1RpQbmAme3d6XnpL
On November 27, 2012, The Courier Mail carried a piece by Wes Hosking which suggested that NAPLAN testing places damaging stress on students, including those still in primary school.
The full text of this article can be accessed at http://www.couriermail.com.au/ipad/naplan-tests-causing-stressed-primary-school-students-to-seeking-counselling/story-fn6ck45n-1226524542124
On November 28, 2012, The Courier Mail published an opinion piece by Dr Karen Brooks, associate professor at the University of Queensland's Centre for Critical and Cultural Studies.
Dr Brooks argues that test preparation is monopolising teaching time to the detriment of students' broader education. The full text of this comment can be found at http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/opinion/our-naplan-obsession-robs-children-of-the-real-lessons/story-e6frerc6-1226525151328
On November 29, 2012, The Adelaide Advertiser published an opinion piece by David Penberthy in which he defends NAPLAN testing against its recent testing. The full text of this comment can be found at http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/opinion/testing-times-prove-to-be-worth-the-stress/story-e6freall-1226527047270
On December 2, 2012, The Catholic Weekly published a report detailing the attitudes of the executive director of Catholic Schools in the Sydney archdiocese, Dr Dan White. Dr White defends the effects of NAPLAN testing, seeing it as a valuable tool for educators.
The full text of this report can be found at http://www.catholicweekly.com.au/article.php?classID=1&subclassID=2&articleID=11315&class=Latest%20News&subclass=CW%20National%20%28CEO%20head%20defends%20NAPLAN%20against%20call%20for%20review%29
