❓ Mr Rundle questions the Minister for Education about declining reading levels in WA boys, citing PIRLS and NAPLAN data. The Minister refutes the representation of data as misleading, highlighting WA's performance relative to other states and Australia's international standing, while outlining investments in education.
AnsweredQoN 319Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
LITERACY
319. Mr P.J. RUNDLE to the Minister for Education:
I refer to the 2021 Progress in
International Reading Literacy Study, which was released on Tuesday, showing
that the number of boys who met or exceeded the study's intermediate
benchmark for reading was 77 per cent, and for girls, 84 per cent. More
troubling was that in WA, year 4 boys trailed 18 per cent behind girls.
Meanwhile, WA's year 9 NAPLAN results for boys indicate the minimum
standard of reading has been decreasing since 2018. Noting this, what are the
minister and his department doing to improve these declining reading levels of
boys in WA?
319. Mr P.J. RUNDLE to the Minister for Education:
I refer to the 2021 Progress in
International Reading Literacy Study, which was released on Tuesday, showing
that the number of boys who met or exceeded the study's intermediate
benchmark for reading was 77 per cent, and for girls, 84 per cent. More
troubling was that in WA, year 4 boys trailed 18 per cent behind girls.
Meanwhile, WA's year 9 NAPLAN results for boys indicate the minimum
standard of reading has been decreasing since 2018. Noting this, what are the
minister and his department doing to improve these declining reading levels of
boys in WA?
AnswerView source ↗
The member represented those
figures in a misleading way. As he very well knows, the figures that came out yesterday show that WA is on par with most of
Australia. The Australian Capital Territory is ahead of Western Australia .
Statistically, there is no difference in Western Australia compared with the
others. Boys are behind in reading across Australia and probably across the
world. The member also did not note that Australia is ahead of 28 nations
measured in that test, and that only six nations were ahead of us. How about
giving the Parliament the full representation of the figures rather than
cherrypicking? How about that? As he very well knows, boys have been falling
behind girls in reading and in other academic pursuits for a long time. This
government has been putting extra money into teaching students, including
literacy. This budget invested over $6 billion in education. For the first time ever, more than $6 billion has been
invested in education. Over $350 million has been invested to improve the
education outcomes of students with learning difficulties. That is a $74 million
increase from last year. That is what we are doing. We have made a concerted
effort to try to improve the education outcome for all boys and girls in the Western Australian public education system,
and we are providing support for the independent schools as well.
figures in a misleading way. As he very well knows, the figures that came out yesterday show that WA is on par with most of
Australia. The Australian Capital Territory is ahead of Western Australia .
Statistically, there is no difference in Western Australia compared with the
others. Boys are behind in reading across Australia and probably across the
world. The member also did not note that Australia is ahead of 28 nations
measured in that test, and that only six nations were ahead of us. How about
giving the Parliament the full representation of the figures rather than
cherrypicking? How about that? As he very well knows, boys have been falling
behind girls in reading and in other academic pursuits for a long time. This
government has been putting extra money into teaching students, including
literacy. This budget invested over $6 billion in education. For the first time ever, more than $6 billion has been
invested in education. Over $350 million has been invested to improve the
education outcomes of students with learning difficulties. That is a $74 million
increase from last year. That is what we are doing. We have made a concerted
effort to try to improve the education outcome for all boys and girls in the Western Australian public education system,
and we are providing support for the independent schools as well.
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