MySchool Website Unnecessary

Media Urged to Act Responsibly

“The launch of the MySchool website that will allow for very poor comparisons of different schools based on a single test on one day in the school year is unnecessary and unhelpful,” said Independent Education Union of Australia Federal Secretary Chris Watt.

“The website will compare schools based on NAPLAN tests that are fundamentally designed to assess individual students’ achievement and provide for diagnosis and teaching/learning planning.

“We know that parents want more sophisticated and rounded information about their children’s school than this website can ever provide.

“It is also a nonsense to suggest that this website is necessary to identify underperforming schools so that remedial action can be taken.  This information already exists and school systems are already engaged in school renewal and development exercises based on the NAPLAN data.

“Of even greater concern is the emphatic intent by some in the media to present this website data in league tables which will further strip away any of the broader context that schools across this country operate within.

“Portrayal of alleged underperforming schools in a simplistic league table has the very real risk of damaging school communities as international experience has shown time and again.

“It is disappointing that the federal and state education ministers who control the MySchool website have abrogated their responsibility in relation to the appropriate and responsible use of the data.

“The IEUA will monitor the behaviour of the media in this regard and its Federal Council meeting in March will consider an appropriate response if necessary.

Contact:

Chris Watt       Federal Secretary IEUA