❓ Question regarding docking teacher pay for NAPLAN non-compliance and public availability of test results. The Minister's response focuses on the benefits of NAPLAN, the dispute with the teachers' union, and the resolution achieved through the Industrial Relations Commission.
AnsweredQoN 254Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
NATIONAL LITERACY AND NUMERACY TESTING
I refer to the national literacy and numeracy testing that is being held this week and I ask — (1) Will the minister dock payment to teachers who do not make alternative arrangements for students to sit the tests; and, if so, what is his explanation for this? (2) Will the government make some aspects of the results of the testing available publicly? Mr M. McGOWAN
I refer to the national literacy and numeracy testing that is being held this week and I ask — (1) Will the minister dock payment to teachers who do not make alternative arrangements for students to sit the tests; and, if so, what is his explanation for this? (2) Will the government make some aspects of the results of the testing available publicly? Mr M. McGOWAN
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Darling Range for the question. (1)-(2) I am pleased to inform the house that NAPLAN—National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy—is being carried out today, this week and next week in Western Australian schools, both public and private. This is an agreement reached between state governments and the commonwealth government to make sure we have uniform testing, particularly in the areas of literacy and numeracy, across all states so that we can have a national approach for dealing with these issues. The Western Australian government is pleased to sign up to this initiative. It will replace the existing Western Australian literacy and numeracy assessment and the Monitoring Standards in Education Year 9 testing that was put in place in Western Australian schools in previous years. To give members an idea of what this testing is about, the first point is to make sure that parents have an idea of where their children are placed vis-à-vis other students in the full cohort of schools around Western Australia and, indeed, around Australia, so that they know how well their child is doing on a national basis. The government thinks parents have the right to know that. The second point is that it is a diagnostic tool for teachers so that they will know where their students are at and whether they have students who need additional support and assistance. I refer to my trip last week to schools at Warakurna, Kiwikurra and Wingellina, and some of the teachers there told us that these tests provided assistance in working out where their students were at and which students needed additional help in the classroom. I think that is a good thing. The State School Teachers’ Union has had a 10-year objection to these tests. We took the State School Teachers’ Union to the Industrial Relations Commission last week over its position. It had put out a directive to the teaching workforce to not carry out these tests. I thought that position unfairly penalised students in public schools around Western Australia. It means that schools will have to struggle to cope with these tests. The government took the union to the Industrial Relations Commission, and the Industrial Relations Commission fortunately took the side of parents and students and the vast majority of teachers around Western Australia and agreed with the government. Most teachers are very sensible, reasonable people who want to have the right processes in place. That is the background to this issue. The government has come up with an arrangement through the Industrial Relations Commission that will allow schools to manage these issues in such a way that if teachers wish to swap classes at particular times so that tests can be conducted, they can be accommodated. That seems a reasonable arrangement. These are the nuts and bolts of this issue. It has been a huge victory for students and for the majority of reasonable teachers and parents around this state.
(1) Will the minister dock payment to teachers who do not make alternative arrangements for students to sit the tests; and, if so, what is his explanation for this? (2) Will the government make some aspects of the results of the testing available publicly? Mr M. McGOWAN replied: I thank the member for Darling Range for the question. (1)-(2) I am pleased to inform the house that NAPLAN—National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy—is being carried out today, this week and next week in Western Australian schools, both public and private. This is an agreement reached between state governments and the commonwealth government to make sure we have uniform testing, particularly in the areas of literacy and numeracy, across all states so that we can have a national approach for dealing with these issues. The Western Australian government is pleased to sign up to this initiative. It will replace the existing Western Australian literacy and numeracy assessment and the Monitoring Standards in Education Year 9 testing that was put in place in Western Australian schools in previous years. To give members an idea of what this testing is about, the first point is to make sure that parents have an idea of where their children are placed vis-à-vis other students in the full cohort of schools around Western Australia and, indeed, around Australia, so that they know how well their child is doing on a national basis. The government thinks parents have the right to know that. The second point is that it is a diagnostic tool for teachers so that they will know where their students are at and whether they have students who need additional support and assistance. I refer to my trip last week to schools at Warakurna, Kiwikurra and Wingellina, and some of the teachers there told us that these tests provided assistance in working out where their students were at and which students needed additional help in the classroom. I think that is a good thing. The State School Teachers’ Union has had a 10-year objection to these tests. We took the State School Teachers’ Union to the Industrial Relations Commission last week over its position. It had put out a directive to the teaching workforce to not carry out these tests. I thought that position unfairly penalised students in public schools around Western Australia. It means that schools will have to struggle to cope with these tests. The government took the union to the Industrial Relations Commission, and the Industrial Relations Commission fortunately took the side of parents and students and the vast majority of teachers around Western Australia and agreed with the government. Most teachers are very sensible, reasonable people who want to have the right processes in place. That is the background to this issue. The government has come up with an arrangement through the Industrial Relations Commission that will allow schools to manage these issues in such a way that if teachers wish to swap classes at particular times so that tests can be conducted, they can be accommodated. That seems a reasonable arrangement. These are the nuts and bolts of this issue. It has been a huge victory for students and for the majority of reasonable teachers and parents around this state.
(2) Will the government make some aspects of the results of the testing available publicly? Mr M. McGOWAN replied: I thank the member for Darling Range for the question. (1)-(2) I am pleased to inform the house that NAPLAN—National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy—is being carried out today, this week and next week in Western Australian schools, both public and private. This is an agreement reached between state governments and the commonwealth government to make sure we have uniform testing, particularly in the areas of literacy and numeracy, across all states so that we can have a national approach for dealing with these issues. The Western Australian government is pleased to sign up to this initiative. It will replace the existing Western Australian literacy and numeracy assessment and the Monitoring Standards in Education Year 9 testing that was put in place in Western Australian schools in previous years. To give members an idea of what this testing is about, the first point is to make sure that parents have an idea of where their children are placed vis-à-vis other students in the full cohort of schools around Western Australia and, indeed, around Australia, so that they know how well their child is doing on a national basis. The government thinks parents have the right to know that. The second point is that it is a diagnostic tool for teachers so that they will know where their students are at and whether they have students who need additional support and assistance. I refer to my trip last week to schools at Warakurna, Kiwikurra and Wingellina, and some of the teachers there told us that these tests provided assistance in working out where their students were at and which students needed additional help in the classroom. I think that is a good thing. The State School Teachers’ Union has had a 10-year objection to these tests. We took the State School Teachers’ Union to the Industrial Relations Commission last week over its position. It had put out a directive to the teaching workforce to not carry out these tests. I thought that position unfairly penalised students in public schools around Western Australia. It means that schools will have to struggle to cope with these tests. The government took the union to the Industrial Relations Commission, and the Industrial Relations Commission fortunately took the side of parents and students and the vast majority of teachers around Western Australia and agreed with the government. Most teachers are very sensible, reasonable people who want to have the right processes in place. That is the background to this issue. The government has come up with an arrangement through the Industrial Relations Commission that will allow schools to manage these issues in such a way that if teachers wish to swap classes at particular times so that tests can be conducted, they can be accommodated. That seems a reasonable arrangement. These are the nuts and bolts of this issue. It has been a huge victory for students and for the majority of reasonable teachers and parents around this state.
Mr M. McGOWAN replied: I thank the member for Darling Range for the question. (1)-(2) I am pleased to inform the house that NAPLAN—National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy—is being carried out today, this week and next week in Western Australian schools, both public and private. This is an agreement reached between state governments and the commonwealth government to make sure we have uniform testing, particularly in the areas of literacy and numeracy, across all states so that we can have a national approach for dealing with these issues. The Western Australian government is pleased to sign up to this initiative. It will replace the existing Western Australian literacy and numeracy assessment and the Monitoring Standards in Education Year 9 testing that was put in place in Western Australian schools in previous years. To give members an idea of what this testing is about, the first point is to make sure that parents have an idea of where their children are placed vis-à-vis other students in the full cohort of schools around Western Australia and, indeed, around Australia, so that they know how well their child is doing on a national basis. The government thinks parents have the right to know that. The second point is that it is a diagnostic tool for teachers so that they will know where their students are at and whether they have students who need additional support and assistance. I refer to my trip last week to schools at Warakurna, Kiwikurra and Wingellina, and some of the teachers there told us that these tests provided assistance in working out where their students were at and which students needed additional help in the classroom. I think that is a good thing. The State School Teachers’ Union has had a 10-year objection to these tests. We took the State School Teachers’ Union to the Industrial Relations Commission last week over its position. It had put out a directive to the teaching workforce to not carry out these tests. I thought that position unfairly penalised students in public schools around Western Australia. It means that schools will have to struggle to cope with these tests. The government took the union to the Industrial Relations Commission, and the Industrial Relations Commission fortunately took the side of parents and students and the vast majority of teachers around Western Australia and agreed with the government. Most teachers are very sensible, reasonable people who want to have the right processes in place. That is the background to this issue. The government has come up with an arrangement through the Industrial Relations Commission that will allow schools to manage these issues in such a way that if teachers wish to swap classes at particular times so that tests can be conducted, they can be accommodated. That seems a reasonable arrangement. These are the nuts and bolts of this issue. It has been a huge victory for students and for the majority of reasonable teachers and parents around this state.
I thank the member for Darling Range for the question. (1)-(2) I am pleased to inform the house that NAPLAN—National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy—is being carried out today, this week and next week in Western Australian schools, both public and private. This is an agreement reached between state governments and the commonwealth government to make sure we have uniform testing, particularly in the areas of literacy and numeracy, across all states so that we can have a national approach for dealing with these issues. The Western Australian government is pleased to sign up to this initiative. It will replace the existing Western Australian literacy and numeracy assessment and the Monitoring Standards in Education Year 9 testing that was put in place in Western Australian schools in previous years. To give members an idea of what this testing is about, the first point is to make sure that parents have an idea of where their children are placed vis-à-vis other students in the full cohort of schools around Western Australia and, indeed, around Australia, so that they know how well their child is doing on a national basis. The government thinks parents have the right to know that. The second point is that it is a diagnostic tool for teachers so that they will know where their students are at and whether they have students who need additional support and assistance. I refer to my trip last week to schools at Warakurna, Kiwikurra and Wingellina, and some of the teachers there told us that these tests provided assistance in working out where their students were at and which students needed additional help in the classroom. I think that is a good thing. The State School Teachers’ Union has had a 10-year objection to these tests. We took the State School Teachers’ Union to the Industrial Relations Commission last week over its position. It had put out a directive to the teaching workforce to not carry out these tests. I thought that position unfairly penalised students in public schools around Western Australia. It means that schools will have to struggle to cope with these tests. The government took the union to the Industrial Relations Commission, and the Industrial Relations Commission fortunately took the side of parents and students and the vast majority of teachers around Western Australia and agreed with the government. Most teachers are very sensible, reasonable people who want to have the right processes in place. That is the background to this issue. The government has come up with an arrangement through the Industrial Relations Commission that will allow schools to manage these issues in such a way that if teachers wish to swap classes at particular times so that tests can be conducted, they can be accommodated. That seems a reasonable arrangement. These are the nuts and bolts of this issue. It has been a huge victory for students and for the majority of reasonable teachers and parents around this state.
(1)-(2) I am pleased to inform the house that NAPLAN—National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy—is being carried out today, this week and next week in Western Australian schools, both public and private. This is an agreement reached between state governments and the commonwealth government to make sure we have uniform testing, particularly in the areas of literacy and numeracy, across all states so that we can have a national approach for dealing with these issues. The Western Australian government is pleased to sign up to this initiative. It will replace the existing Western Australian literacy and numeracy assessment and the Monitoring Standards in Education Year 9 testing that was put in place in Western Australian schools in previous years. To give members an idea of what this testing is about, the first point is to make sure that parents have an idea of where their children are placed vis-à-vis other students in the full cohort of schools around Western Australia and, indeed, around Australia, so that they know how well their child is doing on a national basis. The government thinks parents have the right to know that. The second point is that it is a diagnostic tool for teachers so that they will know where their students are at and whether they have students who need additional support and assistance. I refer to my trip last week to schools at Warakurna, Kiwikurra and Wingellina, and some of the teachers there told us that these tests provided assistance in working out where their students were at and which students needed additional help in the classroom. I think that is a good thing. The State School Teachers’ Union has had a 10-year objection to these tests. We took the State School Teachers’ Union to the Industrial Relations Commission last week over its position. It had put out a directive to the teaching workforce to not carry out these tests. I thought that position unfairly penalised students in public schools around Western Australia. It means that schools will have to struggle to cope with these tests. The government took the union to the Industrial Relations Commission, and the Industrial Relations Commission fortunately took the side of parents and students and the vast majority of teachers around Western Australia and agreed with the government. Most teachers are very sensible, reasonable people who want to have the right processes in place. That is the background to this issue. The government has come up with an arrangement through the Industrial Relations Commission that will allow schools to manage these issues in such a way that if teachers wish to swap classes at particular times so that tests can be conducted, they can be accommodated. That seems a reasonable arrangement. These are the nuts and bolts of this issue. It has been a huge victory for students and for the majority of reasonable teachers and parents around this state.
(1) Will the minister dock payment to teachers who do not make alternative arrangements for students to sit the tests; and, if so, what is his explanation for this? (2) Will the government make some aspects of the results of the testing available publicly? Mr M. McGOWAN replied: I thank the member for Darling Range for the question. (1)-(2) I am pleased to inform the house that NAPLAN—National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy—is being carried out today, this week and next week in Western Australian schools, both public and private. This is an agreement reached between state governments and the commonwealth government to make sure we have uniform testing, particularly in the areas of literacy and numeracy, across all states so that we can have a national approach for dealing with these issues. The Western Australian government is pleased to sign up to this initiative. It will replace the existing Western Australian literacy and numeracy assessment and the Monitoring Standards in Education Year 9 testing that was put in place in Western Australian schools in previous years. To give members an idea of what this testing is about, the first point is to make sure that parents have an idea of where their children are placed vis-à-vis other students in the full cohort of schools around Western Australia and, indeed, around Australia, so that they know how well their child is doing on a national basis. The government thinks parents have the right to know that. The second point is that it is a diagnostic tool for teachers so that they will know where their students are at and whether they have students who need additional support and assistance. I refer to my trip last week to schools at Warakurna, Kiwikurra and Wingellina, and some of the teachers there told us that these tests provided assistance in working out where their students were at and which students needed additional help in the classroom. I think that is a good thing. The State School Teachers’ Union has had a 10-year objection to these tests. We took the State School Teachers’ Union to the Industrial Relations Commission last week over its position. It had put out a directive to the teaching workforce to not carry out these tests. I thought that position unfairly penalised students in public schools around Western Australia. It means that schools will have to struggle to cope with these tests. The government took the union to the Industrial Relations Commission, and the Industrial Relations Commission fortunately took the side of parents and students and the vast majority of teachers around Western Australia and agreed with the government. Most teachers are very sensible, reasonable people who want to have the right processes in place. That is the background to this issue. The government has come up with an arrangement through the Industrial Relations Commission that will allow schools to manage these issues in such a way that if teachers wish to swap classes at particular times so that tests can be conducted, they can be accommodated. That seems a reasonable arrangement. These are the nuts and bolts of this issue. It has been a huge victory for students and for the majority of reasonable teachers and parents around this state.
(2) Will the government make some aspects of the results of the testing available publicly? Mr M. McGOWAN replied: I thank the member for Darling Range for the question. (1)-(2) I am pleased to inform the house that NAPLAN—National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy—is being carried out today, this week and next week in Western Australian schools, both public and private. This is an agreement reached between state governments and the commonwealth government to make sure we have uniform testing, particularly in the areas of literacy and numeracy, across all states so that we can have a national approach for dealing with these issues. The Western Australian government is pleased to sign up to this initiative. It will replace the existing Western Australian literacy and numeracy assessment and the Monitoring Standards in Education Year 9 testing that was put in place in Western Australian schools in previous years. To give members an idea of what this testing is about, the first point is to make sure that parents have an idea of where their children are placed vis-à-vis other students in the full cohort of schools around Western Australia and, indeed, around Australia, so that they know how well their child is doing on a national basis. The government thinks parents have the right to know that. The second point is that it is a diagnostic tool for teachers so that they will know where their students are at and whether they have students who need additional support and assistance. I refer to my trip last week to schools at Warakurna, Kiwikurra and Wingellina, and some of the teachers there told us that these tests provided assistance in working out where their students were at and which students needed additional help in the classroom. I think that is a good thing. The State School Teachers’ Union has had a 10-year objection to these tests. We took the State School Teachers’ Union to the Industrial Relations Commission last week over its position. It had put out a directive to the teaching workforce to not carry out these tests. I thought that position unfairly penalised students in public schools around Western Australia. It means that schools will have to struggle to cope with these tests. The government took the union to the Industrial Relations Commission, and the Industrial Relations Commission fortunately took the side of parents and students and the vast majority of teachers around Western Australia and agreed with the government. Most teachers are very sensible, reasonable people who want to have the right processes in place. That is the background to this issue. The government has come up with an arrangement through the Industrial Relations Commission that will allow schools to manage these issues in such a way that if teachers wish to swap classes at particular times so that tests can be conducted, they can be accommodated. That seems a reasonable arrangement. These are the nuts and bolts of this issue. It has been a huge victory for students and for the majority of reasonable teachers and parents around this state.
Mr M. McGOWAN replied: I thank the member for Darling Range for the question. (1)-(2) I am pleased to inform the house that NAPLAN—National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy—is being carried out today, this week and next week in Western Australian schools, both public and private. This is an agreement reached between state governments and the commonwealth government to make sure we have uniform testing, particularly in the areas of literacy and numeracy, across all states so that we can have a national approach for dealing with these issues. The Western Australian government is pleased to sign up to this initiative. It will replace the existing Western Australian literacy and numeracy assessment and the Monitoring Standards in Education Year 9 testing that was put in place in Western Australian schools in previous years. To give members an idea of what this testing is about, the first point is to make sure that parents have an idea of where their children are placed vis-à-vis other students in the full cohort of schools around Western Australia and, indeed, around Australia, so that they know how well their child is doing on a national basis. The government thinks parents have the right to know that. The second point is that it is a diagnostic tool for teachers so that they will know where their students are at and whether they have students who need additional support and assistance. I refer to my trip last week to schools at Warakurna, Kiwikurra and Wingellina, and some of the teachers there told us that these tests provided assistance in working out where their students were at and which students needed additional help in the classroom. I think that is a good thing. The State School Teachers’ Union has had a 10-year objection to these tests. We took the State School Teachers’ Union to the Industrial Relations Commission last week over its position. It had put out a directive to the teaching workforce to not carry out these tests. I thought that position unfairly penalised students in public schools around Western Australia. It means that schools will have to struggle to cope with these tests. The government took the union to the Industrial Relations Commission, and the Industrial Relations Commission fortunately took the side of parents and students and the vast majority of teachers around Western Australia and agreed with the government. Most teachers are very sensible, reasonable people who want to have the right processes in place. That is the background to this issue. The government has come up with an arrangement through the Industrial Relations Commission that will allow schools to manage these issues in such a way that if teachers wish to swap classes at particular times so that tests can be conducted, they can be accommodated. That seems a reasonable arrangement. These are the nuts and bolts of this issue. It has been a huge victory for students and for the majority of reasonable teachers and parents around this state.
I thank the member for Darling Range for the question. (1)-(2) I am pleased to inform the house that NAPLAN—National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy—is being carried out today, this week and next week in Western Australian schools, both public and private. This is an agreement reached between state governments and the commonwealth government to make sure we have uniform testing, particularly in the areas of literacy and numeracy, across all states so that we can have a national approach for dealing with these issues. The Western Australian government is pleased to sign up to this initiative. It will replace the existing Western Australian literacy and numeracy assessment and the Monitoring Standards in Education Year 9 testing that was put in place in Western Australian schools in previous years. To give members an idea of what this testing is about, the first point is to make sure that parents have an idea of where their children are placed vis-à-vis other students in the full cohort of schools around Western Australia and, indeed, around Australia, so that they know how well their child is doing on a national basis. The government thinks parents have the right to know that. The second point is that it is a diagnostic tool for teachers so that they will know where their students are at and whether they have students who need additional support and assistance. I refer to my trip last week to schools at Warakurna, Kiwikurra and Wingellina, and some of the teachers there told us that these tests provided assistance in working out where their students were at and which students needed additional help in the classroom. I think that is a good thing. The State School Teachers’ Union has had a 10-year objection to these tests. We took the State School Teachers’ Union to the Industrial Relations Commission last week over its position. It had put out a directive to the teaching workforce to not carry out these tests. I thought that position unfairly penalised students in public schools around Western Australia. It means that schools will have to struggle to cope with these tests. The government took the union to the Industrial Relations Commission, and the Industrial Relations Commission fortunately took the side of parents and students and the vast majority of teachers around Western Australia and agreed with the government. Most teachers are very sensible, reasonable people who want to have the right processes in place. That is the background to this issue. The government has come up with an arrangement through the Industrial Relations Commission that will allow schools to manage these issues in such a way that if teachers wish to swap classes at particular times so that tests can be conducted, they can be accommodated. That seems a reasonable arrangement. These are the nuts and bolts of this issue. It has been a huge victory for students and for the majority of reasonable teachers and parents around this state.
(1)-(2) I am pleased to inform the house that NAPLAN—National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy—is being carried out today, this week and next week in Western Australian schools, both public and private. This is an agreement reached between state governments and the commonwealth government to make sure we have uniform testing, particularly in the areas of literacy and numeracy, across all states so that we can have a national approach for dealing with these issues. The Western Australian government is pleased to sign up to this initiative. It will replace the existing Western Australian literacy and numeracy assessment and the Monitoring Standards in Education Year 9 testing that was put in place in Western Australian schools in previous years. To give members an idea of what this testing is about, the first point is to make sure that parents have an idea of where their children are placed vis-à-vis other students in the full cohort of schools around Western Australia and, indeed, around Australia, so that they know how well their child is doing on a national basis. The government thinks parents have the right to know that. The second point is that it is a diagnostic tool for teachers so that they will know where their students are at and whether they have students who need additional support and assistance. I refer to my trip last week to schools at Warakurna, Kiwikurra and Wingellina, and some of the teachers there told us that these tests provided assistance in working out where their students were at and which students needed additional help in the classroom. I think that is a good thing. The State School Teachers’ Union has had a 10-year objection to these tests. We took the State School Teachers’ Union to the Industrial Relations Commission last week over its position. It had put out a directive to the teaching workforce to not carry out these tests. I thought that position unfairly penalised students in public schools around Western Australia. It means that schools will have to struggle to cope with these tests. The government took the union to the Industrial Relations Commission, and the Industrial Relations Commission fortunately took the side of parents and students and the vast majority of teachers around Western Australia and agreed with the government. Most teachers are very sensible, reasonable people who want to have the right processes in place. That is the background to this issue. The government has come up with an arrangement through the Industrial Relations Commission that will allow schools to manage these issues in such a way that if teachers wish to swap classes at particular times so that tests can be conducted, they can be accommodated. That seems a reasonable arrangement. These are the nuts and bolts of this issue. It has been a huge victory for students and for the majority of reasonable teachers and parents around this state.
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