NAPLAN testing has long been the subject of heated debate, but the incident involving a teacher suspended for altering student answers has opened up a new thread of discussion.
South Australian Education Minister Jay Weatherill is correct when he says the reporting of the incident to authorities by the principal and teacher who caught out the member of staff “shows the level of professionalism we should expect from our teachers”.
There is no excuse for teachers who resort to such measures. However, it does make us wonder about the pressures faced by those who feel the need to cheat the system. A pressure magnified by the fact the results will be published on the My School website and, ultimately, used to make unfair crude rankings.
The NAPLAN tests are supposed to give an ongoing record of student progress, but the majority of teachers (at both primary and secondary) already carry out regular thorough assessments. On that basis, it’s hard to tell who is really being tested by NAPLAN – the students, the teachers or the schools.
Education officials in Queensland are looking into allegations that details of the writing task were leaked at one school in order to prepare students, giving them an unfair advantage. And, there is suspicion that lower-achieving pupils across Australia are being withdrawn from the tests or encouraged to miss school on that day to make the results look better.
These may be isolated examples, but results are being skewed – and not just through underhand means, students are not robots, they have their off-days too. How much pressure must be on their shoulders to ‘prove their potential’ in a one-off test?
So, it seems that however dedicated those professionals are who put in the extra hours, give their best to students every day and follow the rules in the NAPLAN exams, the system does not operate on a level playing field. That being the case, the importance placed on results has been blown out of all proportion.
Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young has won an upper house inquiry into the way the NAPLAN data is used and a committee will now look at ways to stop the creation of league tables. A more pleasing aspect is that it will also examine the value of testing – from the perspective of students, teachers and parents.
The victory in winning such an inquiry and a forum on school league tables followed a stand-off between teaching unions and Julia Gillard that threatened to boil over at times. The Australian Education Union has rejected comments from some quarters that the change of heart represented a ‘back down’. Union leaders say they’re confident the working party will be a way to address serious concerns held by members of the teaching profession.
Gillard called it a ‘sensible’ decision and, although she aimed the comment at the AEU’s lifting of the boycott, it could equally have described her pledge to give teachers the voice in discussions they have long called for.
LINK ‘N LEARN LAST LEGS?
YOU would think that for students who are battling a chronic illness, notions of numeracy lessons, homework and exams would be put on hold, but maintaining links with teachers and classmates can often be a comfort for youngsters in times of uncertainty. The work being done at the Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital is an area of education often overlooked, but no less vital than that taking place in traditional classrooms up and down the country.
The RCH has its own team of experienced teaching staff ready to link up with schools and support patients of all ages. For some, diagnosed with cancer or undergoing transplants, that means one-to-one bedside tuition. For others it means a trip to the hospital ‘classroom’ where primary youngsters mix with their secondary peers and support each other with their studies. Others make use of netbooks and videoconferencing to hook up with teachers direct and ‘join the lesson’.
Unfortunately, classroom teachers aren’t trained in the complex issues around supporting students who find themselves diagnosed with a life-threatening illness and admitted to hospital for long-term treatment. The RCH teachers do a great job of linking with schools, but it would be good to see training for teachers during initial qualifications and professional development courses for those already in the sector.
A worrying aspect of the story is that Melbourne’s Link n Learn project to connect students with teachers back at school will run out of funding this year. In an age where politicians preach ‘inclusive education’ for all, it would be great if projects like this were given the financial backing they need.
UNSUNG HERO’S JOURNEY
TEACHERS who go the extra mile to enrich learning experiences are often unsung heroes. One such example is David Williams, the Victorian English teacher who has been the driving force behind a book featuring stories from students affected by bushfires. After teaming up with author Neil Grant he embarked on a journey that, not only proved a cathartic experience, but also produced a fantastic resource for use in the classroom. Now 1000 Pencils - from Kinglake to Kabul has been picked up by a major publisher for distribution across Australia. Like Williams, we know there are thousands of teachers out there who don’t ask for the praise or crave attention, but Australian Teacher Magazine is more than happy to give it.
Subscribe to this comment's feed
Loading Poll...
