The results again showed sharp demographic and geographic divides, with about one in three First Nations students rated as “needs additional support” compared with under one in 10 of their non-Indigenous counterparts.
Fewer than 24 per cent of students from remote areas were rated as “strong” or “exceeding” in their reading this year, compared with more than 70 per cent of students in big city schools, while in numeracy, just 22 per cent of very remote area youngsters were strong or exceeding compared with 69 per cent of urban children.
Nick Parkinson, an education specialist with the Grattan Institute think tank, said on Tuesday this year’s NAPLAN results reinforced a clear message from last year’s marks.
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“Too many Victorian kids are falling through the cracks,” he said. “Victoria’s 2024 results were not substantially different from the national average, the ACT or NSW on any of the NAPLAN tests.
“Victoria must not be complacent, and there is hard work ahead to ensure excellence and equity in every school.”
Parkinson said the state government’s commitment this year to phonics instruction and evidence-based teaching was positive, but called for further reform, including a long-term target of 90 per cent proficiency in literacy and numeracy.
“The state also needs better screening checks to flag students who need extra support. Waiting until year 3 NAPLAN is leaving it far too late,” Parkinson said.
“There should be a resit in year 2 for students flagged in the year 1 screening checks. The current English online interview doesn’t cut it.”
Glenn Fahey, director of the educational program at the Centre for Independent Studies, said the stable achievement results between 2023 and 2024 might point to a broader stabilisation in the quality of the educational system.
“This is generally consistent with other test results that may point to a halt – though not a reversal – to decades of generally poor or declining outcomes,” Fahey said.
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“It remains that case that Australian student achievement levels and the gaps between students remain disappointing, given the relatively high level of taxpayer spending.
“Despite more than a decade of Gonski funding – intended to raise achievement and reduce gaps – there is little evidence of substantial improvement in results.”
Fahey said the results showed the achievement targets demanded by the federal government in return for a new $16 billion schools funding package for the states were crucial to improving educational outcomes.
“The currently proposed targets to improve the proportion of proficient students and reducing those who need additional support are a good place to start – but could benefit from being more ambitious,” Fahey said.
Federal Education Minister Jason Clare said the results underlined the need for the reform he was demanding from the states.
“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,” he said.
Victorian Education Minister Ben Carroll said the state had the highest NAPLAN participation rates in 16 years.
“Victoria’s NAPLAN results are no accident – they are the product of our record investment in schools and the efforts of our dedicated kids, teachers, principals, parents and carers,” he said.
Victorian shadow education minister Jess Wilson said stagnant and declining learning outcomes were the real-world consequences of Labor’s mismanagement of education.
“With a continuing teacher shortage crisis, long overdue evidence-based learning reforms stalling and debt-driven delays to school upgrades across the state, it should be no surprise Victorian students are falling further behind,” she said.
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Source Agencies
