NAPLAN cancelled after calls from Education Minister Grace Grace amid coronavirus crisis

Education ministers have cancelled NAPLAN for 2020 to avoid extra stress being placed on students, teachers and parents as coronavirus continues to cause anxiety.

EDUCATION ministers have cancelled NAPLAN for 2020 over coronavirus fuelled concerns there would be lower participation, problems with centralised marking of tests, and the burden on teachers.

A statement by education ministers after the emergency Education Council meeting said that decision was taken to help school teachers, leaders and support staff to focus on student wellbeing and their learning, including the continuation of school online and remotely.

It comes after Queensland Minister Grace Grace this morning called for the test to be cancelled over fears of the extra anxiety caused by the ongoing coronavirus crisis.

Ms Grace said the valuable time of school leaders, teachers and support staff should be spent providing continuity of learning or preparing to deliver possible curriculum at home.

“I want to thank my state and federal colleagues for listening to Queensland’s call to move swiftly to cancel NAPLAN this year, allowing our hardworking teachers to continue providing a world-class education to our students during this unprecedented time,” she said.

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“Further, the impact of responses to the COVID-19 virus may affect the delivery of NAPLAN testing, including the operation of centralised marking centres and the implications for nationally comparable data if an insufficient number of students are available to do the test,” the Education Council statement said.

Education Minister Grace Grace says there’s strong support for NAPLAN to be cancelled. Picture: Attila Csaszar/AAP

“The decision to not proceed with NAPLAN in 2020 also means that the scheduled testing of the NAPLAN Online platform, known as the co-ordinated Practice Test (CPT), will not proceed.

“Ministers acknowledge the work that departments and schools have undertaken in preparation for the anticipated CPT which was due to commence next week on 23 March. Education departments and systems will continue to closely monitor health advice and work with schools to ensure appropriate support for students and staff as the response to COVID-19 develops.

“Education Ministers reiterated that the National Cabinet has agreed, on the advice of the chief health and medical officers, that “pre-emptive closure of schools are not proportionate or effective as a public health intervention to prevent community transmission of COVID-19 at this time.”

The NAPLAN test window was scheduled to be from May 12 to 22 and online trials beginning next week.

The national test measures students in year 3, 5, 7 and 9 on numeracy and literacy and is set to resume next year.

Queensland Teachers' Union president Kevin Bates welcomed the decision to scrap NAPLAN for this year given the “massive disruption” caused by COVID-19.

“An enormous amount of work has already been completed in preparing for NAPLAN which is one of the issues we've highlighted during our campaign and we offer sincere thanks to the parents, teachers and principals who have put in all of that effort to get ready,” he said.

He said that the decision provided certainty for schools, having heard regularly from principals that they were concerned about NAPLAN while trying to prepare teachers, students and parents for potential school closures amid the coronavirus crisis.

“They were constantly aware they had to prepare for NAPLAN, this relieves school leaders of the pressure around the unnecessary test in 2020.”

He said the union's campaign to scrap NAPLAN altogether would resume after the crisis.

“I hope we're able to demonstrate no child is worse off because of not doing NAPLAN in 2020 which will demonstrate for the whole nation that it's not worth it,” he said.

The Teachers Professional Association of Queensland (TPAQ) vice president Cameron Murray supported the decision to scrap the test on public health grounds.

“We do however note the loss of important diagnostic data for this cohort of Year 3,

5, 7, and 9 students is regrettable and support an effort to follow up on this at a later

date.

Queensland Catholic Education Commission executive director Dr Lee-Anne Perry welcomed the move by education ministers and said the key focus was ensuring their 154,000 students were supported in their learning.

The various contingencies Catholic schools are developing in light of COVID-19 will ensure teachers are still able to track the progress of students and to guide them towards the best possible learning outcomes despite this one-year gap in NAPLAN data.

Independent Schools Queensland executive director David Robertson said the decision was practical in light of the pandemic.

“Schools, like many other institutions in our society, are facing unprecedented challenges from this outbreak.

“They are doing a remarkable job of maintaining community connection and providing a level of stability and familiarity to students and their families during this unparalleled time in our world’s history.”

Cluey Learning Officer Dr Selina Samuels said without the test to make kids nervous, students and their parents can calmly focus on strengthening important literacy and numeracy skills.
“In a time that is requiring of us all great adaptability and resilience, fundamental literacy and numeracy skills are essential building blocks.”

Ms Grace also revealed school attendance has dropped about 5 to 6 per cent compared to this time last year, blaming the reduction on children being sick (not corona-related) and parents needing to self isolate.

Attendance is currently at 86 per cent.

The national test measures students in year 3, 5, 7 and 9 on numeracy and literacy and is set to resume next year.

The decision was taken unanimously by COAG’s Education Council which includes state, territory and federal ministers.

Queensland Teachers’ Union president Kevin Bates welcomed the decision to scrap NAPLAN for this year.

“It’s a very sensible decision given the massive disruption across the community and particularly in schools because of COVID-19.

“An enormous amount of work has already been completed in preparing for NAPLAN which is one of the issues we’ve highlighted during our campaign and we offer sincere thanks to the parents, teachers and principals who have put in all of that effort to get ready,” he said.

He said that the decision provided certainty for schools, having heard regularly from principals that they were concerned about NAPLAN while trying to prepare teachers, students and parents for potential school closures amid the coronavirus crisis.

“They were constantly aware they had to prepare for NAPLAN, this relieves school leaders of the pressure around the unnecessary test in 2020.”

He said the union’s campaign to scrap NAPLAN altogether would resume after the crisis.

“I hope we’re able to demonstrate no child is worse off because of not doing NAPLAN in 2020 which will demonstrate for the whole nation that it’s not worth it,” he said.

“We can look at a sensible process that will develop an alternative that will give the government access to the information they need and does not cost $150 million a year and does not have the negative consequences for students, teachers and parents that NAPLAN clearly does.”

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Originally published as NAPLAN cancelled after calls from Education Minister Grace Grace amid coronavirus crisis