❓ Mr Rundle raises concerns about NAPLAN results, particularly for Indigenous, regional, and disadvantaged students. The Minister responds by highlighting positive aspects of WA's NAPLAN performance and outlining initiatives to support struggling students and attract/retain teachers in regional areas.
AnsweredQoN 554Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
NAPLAN — RESULTS
554. Mr P.J. RUNDLE to the Minister for Education:
I
refer to the recent NAPLAN results, which found that one-third of WA students
are not meeting the new proficiency standards in reading, writing and maths,
and, as highlighted by the federal Minister for Education, there was a massive
over-representation of Indigenous students, regional students and students from
poor families not meeting standards.
(1) What is the
minister doing to assist regional schools to attract and retain principals and
teachers where there are gaps in many roles within these schools?
(2) What
strategies does the minister have to lift the proficiency standards in the
three identified groups of students who need extra assistance?
554. Mr P.J. RUNDLE to the Minister for Education:
I
refer to the recent NAPLAN results, which found that one-third of WA students
are not meeting the new proficiency standards in reading, writing and maths,
and, as highlighted by the federal Minister for Education, there was a massive
over-representation of Indigenous students, regional students and students from
poor families not meeting standards.
(1) What is the
minister doing to assist regional schools to attract and retain principals and
teachers where there are gaps in many roles within these schools?
(2) What
strategies does the minister have to lift the proficiency standards in the
three identified groups of students who need extra assistance?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) The
NAPLAN results this year are under a new system. We moved from a 10-band to a four-band
proficiency standard, which is a much better way of measuring students that
allows for better interaction with parents. The bands are ''exceeding'',
''strong'', ''developing'' and ''needs
additional support''. There is good news in the sense that Western Australia
has the highest participation rate in the NAPLAN tests, and that our year 9 students had the highest scores in numeracy in
Australia. That is the good news. There is also other positive news—for
instance, the percentage of Western Australian students in the ''exceeding'' proficiency level is higher than the Australian percentages for year 9
in numeracy, grammar, punctuation, spelling and reading; and for year 7 in
spelling. The percentage of WA students in the ''strong''
proficiency level is higher than the Australian percentages for all year 7 and
9 assessments; for year 5 in reading, writing
and spelling; and for year 3 in writing. They are the positives, but I take the
member's point. There is a lot more to be done—not only
in WA, but also across Australia, as Minister Clare stated.
The member also asked about what is
being done to retain teachers and principals in regional areas, and what we are
doing to look after students who are struggling in NAPLAN. Remember that NAPLAN
is just one measurement or tool that we have in the education system. In regard
to principals and teachers in remote and country schools, we have the
attraction and retention incentive. There are other incentives for particular
subjects, but it is a challenge. There is a teacher shortage in Australia and
internationally. Minister Clare mentioned today that he met up with international
ministers at a conference a few months ago
and in most of the western world there is a shortage. A number of measures are
in place to try to attract more people to the profession. Professor
Scott, the vice-chancellor at Sydney University, released a report commissioned
by Minister Clare earlier in the year on how we can try to attract and retain
teachers, and improve teacher training.
Regarding what we are doing for
students who are struggling, we are doing many things. Firstly, this year we
instigated a mandatory phonics check in year 1. We have a quality teaching
strategy that focuses on early intervention for students who are struggling. We
also this year increased the budget for the education adjustment allocation to
$44.5 million over the forward estimates. It was $33 million last year and now
it is $44.5 million over the forward estimates. That is there to help students
who are struggling. It will help with early
intervention and may even allow students to be withdrawn from class to get
specialised mentoring in numeracy and literacy. Other measures also came
out in the budget—for instance, $137.6 million has been allocated in
the forward estimates for students who have disabilities and additional
learning needs, in addition to $8.5 million for students who need assistance.
They are all measures that are very,
very important. The additional $44.5 million education adjustment allowance will now allow us to specialise in
intervention for the bottom 15 per cent of students. Previously , it only
allowed 10 per cent coverage and now it is 15 per cent. This is a struggle, but
this government, the Cook Labor government, is investing an immense amount of
money into trying to ensure that we improve the education and academic outcomes
for our students across the board, whether they are in the metro area or in
country or remote schools.
NAPLAN results this year are under a new system. We moved from a 10-band to a four-band
proficiency standard, which is a much better way of measuring students that
allows for better interaction with parents. The bands are ''exceeding'',
''strong'', ''developing'' and ''needs
additional support''. There is good news in the sense that Western Australia
has the highest participation rate in the NAPLAN tests, and that our year 9 students had the highest scores in numeracy in
Australia. That is the good news. There is also other positive news—for
instance, the percentage of Western Australian students in the ''exceeding'' proficiency level is higher than the Australian percentages for year 9
in numeracy, grammar, punctuation, spelling and reading; and for year 7 in
spelling. The percentage of WA students in the ''strong''
proficiency level is higher than the Australian percentages for all year 7 and
9 assessments; for year 5 in reading, writing
and spelling; and for year 3 in writing. They are the positives, but I take the
member's point. There is a lot more to be done—not only
in WA, but also across Australia, as Minister Clare stated.
The member also asked about what is
being done to retain teachers and principals in regional areas, and what we are
doing to look after students who are struggling in NAPLAN. Remember that NAPLAN
is just one measurement or tool that we have in the education system. In regard
to principals and teachers in remote and country schools, we have the
attraction and retention incentive. There are other incentives for particular
subjects, but it is a challenge. There is a teacher shortage in Australia and
internationally. Minister Clare mentioned today that he met up with international
ministers at a conference a few months ago
and in most of the western world there is a shortage. A number of measures are
in place to try to attract more people to the profession. Professor
Scott, the vice-chancellor at Sydney University, released a report commissioned
by Minister Clare earlier in the year on how we can try to attract and retain
teachers, and improve teacher training.
Regarding what we are doing for
students who are struggling, we are doing many things. Firstly, this year we
instigated a mandatory phonics check in year 1. We have a quality teaching
strategy that focuses on early intervention for students who are struggling. We
also this year increased the budget for the education adjustment allocation to
$44.5 million over the forward estimates. It was $33 million last year and now
it is $44.5 million over the forward estimates. That is there to help students
who are struggling. It will help with early
intervention and may even allow students to be withdrawn from class to get
specialised mentoring in numeracy and literacy. Other measures also came
out in the budget—for instance, $137.6 million has been allocated in
the forward estimates for students who have disabilities and additional
learning needs, in addition to $8.5 million for students who need assistance.
They are all measures that are very,
very important. The additional $44.5 million education adjustment allowance will now allow us to specialise in
intervention for the bottom 15 per cent of students. Previously , it only
allowed 10 per cent coverage and now it is 15 per cent. This is a struggle, but
this government, the Cook Labor government, is investing an immense amount of
money into trying to ensure that we improve the education and academic outcomes
for our students across the board, whether they are in the metro area or in
country or remote schools.
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