Ashenden suggests that what needs fixing is not NAPLAN but the system which controls it. He suggests that the ‘system’ is a combination of state/territory and national agencies, including ACARA. The information generated about schools is used to report on the work of schools which in turn has been used to suggest schools and their staff are the ones that need to change rather than the system which uses a narrow cognitive test to assess student, and by inference teacher and school performance. Ashenden makes some very simple suggestions about how a change could be made. Firstly, the tests and the analyses of the results could be offered as a service rather than being mandated. Furthermore, the important learning schools provide, which is not assessed in any of the main tests used in Australia, should be recognised. Perhaps his most important suggestion is understanding that a young person’s experiences in over a decade of schooling are intrinsically important and should not be seen as “just getting ready for something else.”
Reference: Ashenden, D. How we can all fix NAPLAN. Starting now. (2025, December 8).
Edu Research Matters.