NAPLAN results show how far some Victorian students are falling behind
The full extent of Victorian students’ underperformance has been revealed for the first time since NAPLAN testing began, as the minister denies calls to address teacher shortages.
Education
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Nearly one in three Victorian students – or about 300,000 pupils – are failing to meet national standards in English and maths, the latest NAPLAN results show.
An urgent plan to help struggling children is expected to involve a national rollout of small group tutoring by Federal Education Minister Jason Clare.
Despite this, Victorian students are highest in the country in year three reading and numeracy and year five, seven and nine writing.
Results trail off in later years, and by year nine our students are behind other states in numeracy, reading and spelling.
In results expected to concern many parents, the full extent of the underperformance of students can be revealed for the first time since NAPLAN testing began in 2008.
In some learning areas it is up to ten times higher than previously reported.
Across the state, 28.9 per cent of students are now classified as needing additional support or developing. This is below the national average of 32.8 per cent.
The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) says expectations of students have been “set at a higher level than in previous years”.
From 2023 onwards, four bands of NAPLAN performance – needs additional support, developing, strong and exceeding – have replaced ten earlier measures.
The change to the reporting structure followed an independent review in 2020 which argued the minimum standards were not “challenging enough”.
The new bands reveal 40 per cent of Victorian year three and year nine students are now recognised as not meeting standards in grammar and punctuation – ten times higher than the 4.6 to 11 per cent of students previously classified as below standard.
As many as one in 10 students nationally have been classed as needing “additional support” under the new standards.
Bayview College principal Dr Michelle Kearney said Covid had taken a “serious toll” on Victorian pupils.
“It’s had an effect on them emotionally, socially and on the scaffolding of learning,” Dr Kearney said.
“If you can’t scaffold the learning fully with students in front of you, it’s easier for them to give up if they’re struggling.”
ACARA chief executive David de Carvalho said the results were the first to reflect the new reporting changes, which include “clear information on areas requiring improvement”.
Education Minister Natalie Hutchins said the figures “are a tribute to the extraordinary work and efforts of Victorian kids, teachers, principals, parents and carers”.
Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Ms Hutchins denied that further incentives are required to address teacher shortages, saying overcrowded classrooms are still delivering positive results.
Ms Hutchins, speaking from Moonee Ponds Primary School following this morning’s release, denied that she had been ignoring the Australian Education Union’s Victorian Branch after the group called for greater action on teacher shortages, saying the state was employing thousands of teachers.
“Certainly I have been at the table numerous times with them … talking about that issue and many others and we have been putting strategies in place,” she said.
“Victoria recruited 5000 new teachers between 2020 and 2022.”
Ms Hutchins, however, couldn’t say how many teachers quit the profession in that time period.
The minister, who was asked whether the government should attract more teachers by increasing incentives similar to those that nurses receive, denied that it was necessary.
“We’ve already got some programs in place to attract and retain teachers in hard to staff areas,” she said.
“We’ve also extended that to student placements for student teachers that’s come out of this year’s budget, getting placements, paid placements in hard to staff areas.”
“Make no mistake about it when a school is at 110% enrolment. We can still deliver really good educational outcomes there.”
However, state opposition education spokesman Matthew Bach said the outcome was disappointing.
“The Andrews government has been in for nine long years and education standards continue to fall on its watch, with many students struggling with basic literacy skills,” he said.
Federal opposition education spokeswoman Sarah Henderson said urgent action “is required to adopt best-practice teaching methods and reverse these terrible results”.
Mr Clare said rising standards were reflected in the results.
“Only one in five students who are behind the minimum standard in literacy and numeracy in year 3 are above it in year 9. This is what we have got to fix.,” he said.
He said the government was “tying funding to the sort of things that help children who fall behind to catch up, keep up and finish school”.
This includes a rollout of small group tutoring classes.
Australian Education Union federal president Correna Haythorpe said the “overall pattern of these results add to the evidence about the unacceptable achievement gaps between students from different backgrounds and locations and the need for full funding of public schools”.
In Victoria more than 90 per cent of eligible students took part in the test.
School success story
The principal of a picturesque suburban school says he has invested in student excellence – and it’s reaping rich rewards.
Albanvale Primary School principal Michael Uzunovski said he was proud of his students’ NAPLAN achievements.
“I’m genuinely proud of our students and the work they’ve put into everything this year,” Mr Uzunovski said.
“We have a structured reading program at our school and we’ve invested a lot of money into building the staff capacity to make them expert reading and writing teachers.
“We’ve also done a lot of fundraising and worked with the community to purchase high-quality literature to make them available in the classroom for every student.”
Victoria has more students in the top exceeding category – 16.4 per cent – compared to the national average of 15.1 per cent, but less than the NSW proportion of 17.6 per cent.
Year 5 reading is a standout discipline for Victoria, with 24 per cent of students exceeding and only 4.3 per cent needing further support.
The results, released on Wednesday, also show Victorian boys are the best in the country in six out of 20 learning areas, while girls are best in five areas.
Overall, girls continue to dominate, beating boys in 12 out of 20 learning areas.
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