Tutors charging parents hundreds for ‘harmful’ NAPLAN training

Tutoring companies pocketing huge fees for NAPLAN training have been slammed by educators, who say the coaching is a “monumental waste of time”.

Tutoring companies are scamming parents out of hundreds of dollars for NAPLAN preparation – despite official advice telling students not to study for the standardised test.

In what educators have branded a “monumental waste of time” fuelled by parents’ lack of understanding of the assessment, the Herald Sun has seen dozens of social media advertisements from tutors in Victoria listing the test as their area of expertise.

But official guidelines for the nationwide assessment undertaken by students in years 3, 5, 7 and 9 outline that “the best way for children to prepare is to simply do their best on the day” because it is a snapshot of students’ progress.

Similar to the General Achievement Test (GAT) for senior high school students, the national education body advises students not to do any extra study for NAPLAN.

Even though additional preparation is actively discouraged, scores of businesses are appealing to parents by marketing NAPLAN tutoring as “extra assistance”.

Companies advertise their services to parents on Facebook. Picture: Facebook

A NAPLAN preparation advertisement. Picture: Facebook

The next round of the assessment is not until March next year, but the ads are already targeting parents on social media such as Facebook and Instagram.

A company in Clyde North charges $60 per two-hour English and mathematics session and conducts their own mock tests in the lead-up to the annual assessment, with students also given regular feedback throughout the year.

Parents pay $77 for each hour-long preparation class at a Point Cook tutoring centre.

One tutor said one-on-one classes were the most popular among parents, with NAPLAN sessions filling up quickly at the start of term four.

Another virtual tutoring service in Melbourne advertises NAPLAN “exam” study in Melbourne-based parenting and advice groups on social media.

But literacy research fellow from Deakin University’s School of Education Dr Lucinda McKnight said tutoring companies were trading in a market based on making parents anxious about their kids’ results, which bred an unnecessary “arms race of NAPLAN preparation”.

Deakin University’s Dr Lucinda McKnight says tutoring companies are trading on making parents anxious about their kids’ results. Picture: Twitter

Dr McKnight said it was “harmful” for students and parents to take the test so seriously.

“Children categorically should not be studying for NAPLAN. Preparing for NAPLAN is a monumental waste of kids’ time,” she said.

“Time spent preparing for NAPLAN is time that kids could spend playing with their friends, going outside and focusing on their actual school work.”

It comes as the Herald Sun’s analysis of the most recent NAPLAN results revealed that Victorian students were outperforming most other states in their reading and spelling skills.

Meanwhile, businesses are also offering study tips for the GAT, which is another statewide standard assessment.

David de Carvalho, chief executive of Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), the curriculum body that oversees NAPLAN, said students were best prepared for the test by learning the regular curriculum.

“The questions are directly linked to the Australian curriculum. It is also important to remember that NAPLAN tests are just one part of a student’s overall school program,” he said.

It is recommended that parents and students access sample NAPLAN questions on ACARA’s website to familiarise themselves with the test format.

Originally published as Tutors charging parents hundreds for ‘harmful’ NAPLAN training