2021 NAPLAN results released
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On 25 August, the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) released the NAPLAN 2021 summary results.
The global COVID-19 pandemic has had no significant impact on students’ literacy and numeracy achievement at the national and state/territory level.
Minister for Education and Youth Alan Tudge said the headline results were pleasing but further analysis of the detailed data was needed, as part of a broader look at the impacts of COVID-19 on Australian students.
“It is certainly a relief that we have not yet seen the significant declines that we may have expected due to school closures, particularly in Victoria,” Minister Tudge said in a media release.
“The results also show a resilience among young Australians and they are testament to the hard work of teachers and parents who are supporting learning at home.
“I remain very concerned about the ongoing impact of school closures on young people and their families, particularly the mental health impacts," he said.
ACARA CEO David de Carvalho said these results will be welcomed by governments, schools, parents and carers as a first national insight into the educational impact of the pandemic.
“It’s reassuring to see that overall, our students’ literacy and numeracy standards have not significantly suffered, despite the major disruptions of COVID-19 and remote learning," he said in a media release.
"The results suggest that persistent effort to improve outcomes pays off," he said. "However, this does not mean there has been no impact on specific students or demographic groups," he said.
Catholic Education Commission of Victoria Ltd (CECV) executive director Jim Miles said under the most trying of circumstances, this year’s results are a credit to the professionalism and dedication of principals, teachers, students and their families.
"During the pandemic, principals and teachers have built stronger relationships with parents – every child’s first educators – and inspired a collaborative effort to ensure educational continuity and spiritual and emotional growth for the students in their care," he said in a statement.
"‘While there is a lot to unpack from the data, the results broadly show improvements in literacy across the [Victorian] Catholic sector, with some declines in numeracy scores."