NAPLAN shows why the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement is needed

The latest NAPLAN results show that serious reform is needed to build a better and fairer school education system. 

Like last year, this year’s NAPLAN results show nearly one in 10 school students need additional support to meet minimum standards in literacy and numeracy.

But that’s not the case across the board. Almost one in three students from poor backgrounds need additional support.

One in three Indigenous students, one in four students from remote locations and one in two students from very remote locations require additional support.

This shows that the education of your parents, where you live, and your background has a massive impact on your likelihood to start behind or fall behind at school.

Last year’s reforms to NAPLAN mean we can now more accurately identify students who are falling behind. The next step is providing them with the additional support they need to catch up, keep up and finish school. 

That’s what the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement is all about. 

The Albanese Government has put an additional $16 billion of investment for public schools on the table as part of the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement.

The 10-year Agreement ties new funding to reforms to help lift student outcomes, sets targets and improves school funding transparency, including: 

• Year 1 phonics check and early years of schooling numeracy check to identify students who need additional help.
• Evidence-based teaching and targeted and intensive supports such as small-group or catch-up tutoring to help students who fall behind.
• Greater wellbeing support for learning and engagement, including through full-service schools, counsellors, wellbeing coordinators and mental health workers.
• Increasing the proportion of students leaving school with a Year 12 certificate to 83.8 per cent (by 2030), from 76.3 per cent in 2022.
• Reducing the proportion of students in the Needs Additional Support category for reading and numeracy by 10 per cent and increasing the proportion of students in the ‘Strong’ and ‘Exceeding’ proficiency levels for reading and numeracy by 2030.

The Northern Territory is the first jurisdiction to sign the BFSA, with Western Australia expected to be the next jurisdiction to sign on.

The remaining States and Territories have until the end of September to confirm they will sign this agreement or continue with the current funding arrangements.

This is the second year using revised NAPLAN grades after Education Ministers made the decision to raise the bar, or the standard, students are expected to meet.

Education Ministers did this to make sure students who need additional support are properly identified. 

More information about NAPLAN can be found at www.nap.edu.au    

Quotes attributable to Minister for Education Jason Clare:

“We have a good education system, but it can be a lot better and a lot fairer and that’s what these results again demonstrate.

“Your chances in life shouldn’t depend on your parents’ pay packet or the colour of your skin, but these results again show that’s still the case. 

“These results show why serious reform is needed and why we need to tie additional funding to reforms that will help students catch up, keep up and finish school – reforms that are included the next Better and Fairer Schools Agreement. 

“I have made clear that the additional $16 billion of funding for public schools the Government has put on the table will be tied to practical reforms, like phonics checks and numeracy checks, evidenced-based teaching and catch-up tutoring.

“There are no blank cheques here. I want to invest billions into our public schools and I want to make sure that money makes a difference to the kids who really need it.”