Parents being urged to boycott NAPLAN

Victorian parents have been urged to pull their children from NAPLAN testing, with one principal labelling the tests as “worthless”.

Parents have been urged to withdraw their kids from ­NAPLAN tests next month.

Boycott NAPLAN, a coalition of educators and parents, said last year’s prolonged remote learning in Victoria would impact the veracity of the tests.

But federal Education Minister Alan Tudge dismissed the campaign and accompanying petition, saying NAPLAN was “absolutely critical to tracking and improving student outcomes”.

“Far from scrapping it, we’re improving it by shifting to online tests so teachers and parents can get results faster,” Mr Tudge said.

Boycott NAPLAN campaign spokesman, educator, and Maribyrnong councillor Jorge Jorquera said many parents did not realise their children could abstain from the test, which he described as unjust and inequitable.

“I urge parents to exercise their right to withdraw their children from NAPLAN testing,” Mr Jorquera said.

NAPLAN, which was abandoned last year during the pandemic, will be sat by years 3, 5, 7 and 9 students from May 11.

While some principals are privately opposed to the test, they are compelled to follow department protocols.

NAPLAN will be sat by years 3, 5, 7 and 9 students from May 11. Picture: Keri Megelus

The Australian Education Union and Parents Victoria have renewed their opposition to the tests.

Some schools spend a lot of time preparing children to do well in the test — which opponents say could be better used.

A principal at a school in a low socio-economic area said if the ­results were used to put ­resources into poorer performing schools to bring up literacy and maths, he would support NAPLAN, which was introduced in 2008.

“But we’ve been doing these tests for a while now and nothing has changed,” the principal said.

He said no amount of NAPLAN testing would change the problems many children faced at his school.

Mr Jorquera said there was a desire in education for more pastoral care rather than “tick the box and jumping hoops” learning that did not equip students for the workforce.

“I think there is a growing anti-NAPLAN sentiment after last year,” he said.

“There is a growing awareness in education quarters that it is worthless.”

Boycott NAPLAN has created a petition calling on the Victorian government to ­reform its policies on the ­NAPLAN.

The Australian Education Union’s Victorian vice-president, Marino D’Ortenzio, ­described NAPLAN as deeply flawed and having a negative impact on students.

“NAPLAN simply cannot capture a reliable picture of a student’s skills, abilities or understanding across the ­entirety of their learning,” Ms D’Ortenzio said.

Parents Victoria said it ­opposed any national or statewide assessment programs that sought to rank schools rather than benefit children and assist their learning.

Originally published as Parents being urged to boycott NAPLAN