A plan to improve the results of the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) has been announced by the Minister for Education, Dan Tehan.
Mr Tehan said the NAPLAN National Report released this week confirmed the preliminary results released in August last year.
“Literacy and numeracy must be the absolute fundamentals of a world-leading education because, as the Chief Scientist says, if you don’t have the basic skills you will never expand your learning,” Mr Tehan said.
He said he understood the importance of education and wanted every Australian child, no matter where they lived, to get a world-leading education.
Mr Tehan said his Department is to work with States and Territories to continue to improve student NAPLAN outcomes by fast-tracking a review of the Australian curriculum with an initial focus on maths and science.
He said a national evidence institute would be established to provide evidence and best-practice for teachers to improve student outcomes, along with a new testing regime for younger students.
“We have made improving literacy and numeracy a focus,” Mr Tehan said.
“That is why we are introducing a free, Year One phonics check for all students to assess their language skills and why we are providing $9.5 million to strengthen the capacity of teachers to teach mathematics and numeracy.”
He said the teaching of phonics and reading instruction would be mandatory for initial teacher education courses.
Mr Tehan also said a review would be conducted this year aimed at reducing the “red tape” affecting teachers and school leaders.
He said the Government stood behind NAPLAN because the community deserved to know how its students and schools were performing.