Education Minister Grace Grace pushes to cancel NAPLAN 2020

Queensland's Education Minister Grace Grace is calling for the cancellation of NAPLAN this year, in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

Ms Grace told ABC Brisbane she would be meeting the Education Council on Friday morning to determine the future of NAPLAN this year.

Queensland Education Minister Grace Grace is pushing to cancel NAPLAN 2020 to reduce pressure on students and teachers.Credit: AAP

"There is very strong support, and coming from me as well, that we should cancel NAPLAN for 2020 ... we don't need to put the additional anxiety on students, teachers and parents," she said.

"We do have a bit of a trial testing happening next week and we're meeting this morning via teleconferencing to make that decision.

"And I'll be pushing strongly that, for this year, we should be cancelling NAPLAN."

Ms Grace said Easter school holidays would also be addressed and would follow guidelines from medical experts.

"If they believe that this could be addressed if we bring school holidays forward or extend them a little bit longer, I'm not opposed to any suggestions from around Australia," she said.

"I know that the national Cabinet is meeting today ... but that is something that states are looking at.

"...but whatever we decide, we want to make that decision early and give parents an abundance of notice to that."

Ms Grace said there was an adequate supply of items such as soaps, hand sanitisers and posters in schools after additional cleaning had been introduced.

"[Teachers] should raise those concerns and we will address them as much as possible, such as if they're running short on soap, and we know that some have missed out but cleaners are replenishing those," she said.