The NAPLAN test issue has taken an interesting turn with the Australian Education Union (AEU) voting to impose a moratorium on the implementation of the tests. The AEU has indicated that teachers cannot hand out NAPLAN tests unless the government addresses concerns regarding the misuse of data to create league tables comparing schools. Fair enough!
Indeed, the issue is not the tests themselves, but rather the manner in which the data has been used to compare schools via the infamous My Schools website. To add fuel to the fire, we have the threat of league tables, inappropriately ranking schools, based on arbitrary, one-dimensional measures.
From my perspective at least, the AEU stance is encouraging. Regardless of whether it is an over-reaction or not, the numerous questions which have not been adequately addressed by Julia Gillard and her department, have forced the union’s hand.
In reality, I wonder why it has taken the union so long to act. When I began my teaching career, back when dinosaurs roamed the earth, and the words ‘district inspector’ invoked fear and trembling, the union was a powerful force to be reckoned with. Advocating strongly for the rights of teachers the government had to respond when the voice of the union spoke. Strike action was commonplace, branch meetings were vigorous and often, and there was a sense of strong representation.
Over recent years though, it seems that teacher unionism has lost its bite. A little bit of bark on the odd occasion, but not enough bite. The mongrel was missing. Government initiatives, directives, requirements, instructions, the latest and best idea which would revolutionise the education field have come and gone, and the union has been comparatively silent.
But now, finally, and maybe it’s a case of the straw that broke the camel’s back, the AEU has woken and swung into action. Regardless of the outcome, it is surely encouraging for teachers to see that their representative body has taken such a strong stance on this contentious issue.
It is, without doubt, an issue that requires a stand; too many inequities, too many discrepancies to simply allow it to pass. Those schools whose students perform strongly on NAPLAN tests may not be too worried, but struggling schools surely see things a different way.
The advent of league tables will be damaging, and if not stopped where will it end? Will we then see teacher league tables where individual teachers are ranked according to the performance of their students? We can only hope that common sense will prevail.
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