Committee calls for public inquiry in ACT school performance
An ACT parliamentary committee has called for a public inquiry into the underperformance of Canberra schools in NAPLAN testing, after more than four independent reports found students did not perform as well as their interstate counterparts from similar socio-economic backgrounds.
The committee's report, tabled in the assembly on Tuesday, comes amid growing calls for the controversial national test to be scrapped due to concerns about the "high stakes" comparison of school data online.
Canberra Liberal Elizabeth Lee said that, despite attempts by some in the sector to "sugar coat everything", it was important to acknowledge research pointing to problems beneath the surface in ACT schools, which still scored the highest in the country on the raw numbers.
During public hearings held by the committee last year, researchers and education directorate went to war over school performance data, as the government attempted to hose down findings from both the Grattan Institute and the Australian National University.
Committee chair Michael Pettersson said 18 of its 20 recommendations were unanimously backed by members. But, while they had heard very clearly about the value of standardised testing, Mr Pettersson said the committee also agreed there needed to be ongoing consideration to how such data was published.
Principals and the Australian Education Union had told the committee of NAPLAN testing's toll on students and teachers, as parents shopped around for schools based on NAPLAN results. Teachers also questioned the usefulness of results, which often arrived too late in the year to guide interventions in class.
While Ms Lee agreed NAPLAN should only be used as a low stakes point in time assessment tool, she questioned whether the test should be scrapped altogether.
"Should NAPLAN be scrapped because this minister and this government does not like the numerous independent experts findings that the ACT has been sliding in academic performance?" Ms Lee said.
She said the committee had decided to launch its own inquiry into standardised testing following "a long, concerted campaign by the union and some could argue even the minister" to discredit NAPLAN.
Last year, ACT Education Minister Yvette Berry successfully pushed through a federal review into the publication of NAPLAN results on the My School website, which will hand down its findings to ministers in June.
The Education Council has since approved the reporting of NAPLAN results, in line with previous years, for 2019.
The committee also recommended Ms Berry continue to advocate for a full and comprehensive review of the NAPLAN test itself and consider enforcing a policy to limit the amount of coaching and preparation in schools around the test.
Ms Berry's office has been contacted for comment.
More to come