NAPLAN online glitches leave Victorian students stressed
Major disruptions have hit NAPLAN online across Australia, resulting in connections dropping out and leaving Victorian students stressed and unable to finish the test.
Education
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Major disruptions have hit NAPLAN online across Australia as connections dropped out, leaving Victorian students stressed and unable to finish the test.
Dozens of Victorian schools have been impact by widespread faults, believed to have been caused by an issue with the nationwide NAPLAN firewall.
It’s understood about 900 Victorian schools are set to take part in online testing this week.
Education Minister James Merlino said it was “simply not good enough” and has threatened to withdraw Victoria from future involvement in NAPLAN online.
A high school student said there were intermittent problems with the system for about 10 minutes before the writing assessment, then it crashed altogether.
Students faced a constant flashing on their screens that the connection server had been lost and was reconnecting.
“Lots of other people had theirs crash, too, and I lost 30 minutes of work time,” she said.
“Most of us didn’t get to finish the task.
“I was really sad and worried because I didn’t finish the test and it wasn’t coming back, and I knew that I was going to get a bad result.
“Other people were angry.”
She said in her group students who used iPads were affected, while those on computers were not disrupted.
Mount Waverley Secondary College has issued a notice to parents that “a number of students experienced issues with the NAPLAN Online technology” during the writing test.
“Due to this major disruption most students could not complete the NAPLAN test,” the note read.
“We understand this situation can be stressful and we are currently working with VCAA to find a solution.
“All students involved should be commended in their behaviour and understanding of these issues, during this session.”
A primary school in the northwest was impacted, as grade 5 students working on laptops during the writing component were affected.
“It continued to impact kids’ train of thought to complete the test,” a staff member, who did not wish to be identified, said.
“I have no doubt this has happened through the whole state.”
Mr Merlino has called on the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, which administers the test, to inform all schools taking part in NAPLAN online that they can switch to paper tests instead.
“The rollout and performance of NAPLAN online is simply not good enough and Victorian students, parents and teachers deserve better,” he said.
“Following the problems with NAPLAN experienced last year, I put the Federal Liberal Government ACARA on notice that they needed to get this test working.
“The national bodies that run NAPLAN assured us the online test would work this year. But they have failed schools yet again.”
Mr Merlino said the Victorian government remained committed to “a form of standardised test” but “we will be considering our future involvement with NAPLAN online in coming months”.
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