A Song and Dance about Standardized Tests like Naplan

Standardised Tests like Naplan: The Tin Gods of Education?

The other day I was reminiscing with a friend who works at the local Primary School about what fun we used to have at our school concerts. She said wistfully that now there is no time for music, singing and dancing. The children are much too busy "working"; practising Naplan standardised test examples so that the school's reputation will not suffer when results are published on the "My School" website.

This struck me as a tragedy! Music has been a vital part of education at least as far back as the Greeks; likewise movement and physical education ( to quote Maria Montessori, that icon of early childhood education: "The development of the child's mind comes through his movements"). Songs are a proven aid to literacy, including second language literacy, not to mention the cultural richness they provide. There is a plethora of research showing the benefits of music, song and dance to brain development; with even measurable improvement on the scores of those dreaded standardised tests. So definitely throwing the baby out with the bathwater!

Over the past six years Australian children in years 3, 5, 7 and 9 have been pressured with Naplan: The National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy. According to Naplan's authors, "It is one of a number of important tools used by teachers to measure student progress."However, this useful diagnostic tool for assessing some literacy/numeracy skills has been elevated into the Holy Grail of our education system. Students, teachers and schools are assessed, judged and funded on the basis of  published Naplan scores The inevitable competition between schools means those kids who would most benefit from such diagnosis, those who struggle, are often advised to stay home, so as not to affect results!

The tests' inflated importance leads to unintended consequences, documented  by Literacy Educators Coalition: (http://www.literacyeducators.com.au/naplan/naplan-articles/).  Like endemic "teaching to the test" to the detriment of the rest of the curriculum. Not only do music and dancing miss out, but also science, social studies, languages, art, social skills, even in-depth literacy and numeracy! No time to actually read books with all that Naplan homework to do. Creativity, formerly a great strength of Oz education, is sacrificed. Our kids will become very good at taking Naplan tests and not much else!

Our mis-placed faith in standardised tests is symptomatic of our lack of trust in our teachers. Teachers are now so busy being accountable, providing proof of everything they do, that they have little time to "teach". We need to emulate Finland's much-admired education system where teachers are valued, well-paid, highly trained and then trusted to develop each child to his/her full, unique potential. No need for Naplan there!

Lucinda Sharpe