The IEUA is committed to improving, rather than scuttling, information reported to parents from NAPLAN testing.
Federal President, Dick Shearman, says the IEU is concentrating on improving the quality of the information parents receive from the My School website and will not support a proposed boycott of NAPLAN testing.
In an interview with ABC Radio, Mr Shearman said the IEU held similar concerns to those expressed by its public schools counterpart, the AEU, about some elements of current My School reporting.
“We want to concentrate on what’s possible, in terms of improving the quality of the information, and the structure of the information on the My School website,” he said.
“Our particular concerns are similar to those of the AEU in terms of the misuse of data, but we are strongly supportive of the emphasis on literacy and numeracy, and very supportive of the data being collected, and informing schools, teachers and governments of the need to improve resources in areas that are disadvantaged.”
Mr Shearman told broadcaster, John Barron, there was a lot of good work being done in schools which would not perform as well as others in comparative testing for a number of reasons.
He said simplistic reporting of NAPLAN scores was a “slight” on many teachers, and schools, that were, in fact, doing good work in difficult circumstances.
Today a non-government schools parent body backed the IEU’s move to distance itself from a NAPLAN boycott.
The Association of Parents and Friends of ACT Schools, an affiliate of The Australian Parents Council, said the My School website remained a valuable source of information for its members.
“Parents have the right to make informed choices about schools and the My School website provides them with an additional source of information to assist them to exercise this right,” the organisation said .
The Association “commends the Independent Education Union for its decision not to boycott NAPLAN testing,” its 12 April press release said.