ALMOST half of all parents say they aren’t entirely confident they could pass their child’s NAPLAN tests, according to new research.
In a nationwide survey conducted by online tutoring company, Cluey Learning, 39 per cent of parents say they could ‘possibly’ pass the test whilst 9 per cent say they were ‘not confident’ at passing.
What’s more, a third of parents say they don’t know why their kids are required to do NAPLAN or are unsure about it, and 61 per cent admit they don’t know what the word NAPLAN actually stands for.
General confusion about NAPLAN testing for Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 is still widespread with one parent surveyed saying, “I would like to know what work is being done in class and exactly what kids are learning and what will be tested.”
COVID-related school lockdowns showed parents just how little they actually know about what their children are doing at school or how they learn, so it’s unsurprising there is confusion about what NAPLAN is or how it fits in with the school curriculum.
“NAPLAN stands for the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy which aside from maths skills, also tests for skills in reading, writing, grammar, punctuation and spelling,” Dr Selina Samuels, Cluey’s Chief Learning Officer, said .
“Students may be covering a lot of material in class that’s not directly tested, so there may not be much obvious correlation between what they’re doing at school and NAPLAN tests.”
Dr Samuels stressed parental frustrations over homework are understandable.
“In some cases, methods of instructions have changed, and – let’s face it – it’s not easy to remember how to do long division after 30 years,” she said.
“Moreover, it’s well-known that it’s extremely difficult to teach your own children. The role of teacher and parent are entirely different.”
She said there are various ways parents can get up to speed with NAPLAN and homework.
Additional survey findings:
*Almost all parents (98 per cent) stress the importance of building their child’s resilience this year
*Over half of parents say their child’s learning progress has not been impacted due to COVID-related disruptions over the last couple of years
*Some 87 per cent of parents trust their child’s school and teacher to assist with NAPLAN preparation
*Three quarter of parents (76 per cent) agree kids need to further study for exams beyond the homework given
