Page 2842 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 24 June 2009
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What does this reform mean practically? First, everyone should be aware that there are a number of safeguards in place. Education ministers agreed on a framework for the publication of comparable information about school performance. Australia’s state and territory governments emphasise the importance of this data being used within a broader context. The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority will control the publishing of relevant nationally comparable information on all schools. This will include the 2008 NAPLAN data and associated contextual information.
Second, everyone should know what parents are actually going to be able to see on the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority website. Usefully, parents will soon have an online one-stop shop to help them learn more about their child’s education. A draft online school profile has been prepared for national consultation. In the central section of the web page will be information about how every school, government and non-government, is faring in comparison with other similar local and national schools and systems.
Comparisons will be made in relation to the important areas of reading, writing and arithmetic. It will also include spelling, punctuation and grammar. Data will span years 3, 5, 7 and 9. For schools and colleges with students in senior years, the portal will include information about performance in vocational education and training. It will also show parents and teachers the proportion of students attaining a year 12 certificate or equivalent.
Third, everyone should know that governments have been listening. We all know that this issue is a contentious one and this government is consulting widely with the community. Of course, there are multiple ways of presenting and interpreting types of data and statistics. The NAPLAN student reports are a good example. On 17 April 2009, the Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs approved the inclusion of “a school average on the 2009 NAPLAN student reports to parents”. But the council has made sure that a nationally consistent methodology will be developed. Also, where an average is not statistically valid, it will be excluded from reporting.
The Minister for Education and Training recently wrote to all school communities, both government and non-government, and asked for advice, preferences and comments from school communities about how this reporting should be undertaken and presented in the ACT. The minister expects to receive the report on their feedback by the end of the month and this will help the government to decide what information the 2009 NAPLAN reports to parents will contain.
These reforms are essential to underpin our investment in education. There has been controversy recently about whether the building the education revolution program and our $350 million investment in capital works in schools will enhance the educational outcomes of students. If we have a more transparent education system, we will be able to see how new classrooms, gyms and libraries can help ACT students.
I believe we will find that our investment in school buildings will help our students to reach their full potential. That is why we are upgrading every primary school—and, I am happy to say, every primary school in my electorate.
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