conv.

All stories
EducationQuiet 6d · day 7

NSW wins agreement to return NAPLAN year 5 writing tests to pen and paper from 2028

Australian education ministers agreed to scrap computer-based writing assessments for year 5 students, citing declining literacy skills and excessive screen time.

newest coverage 5d agosummary written 5d ago10 pieces NewswiresGoogle NewsReddit

What to know

  • Australian education ministers agreed that NAPLAN year 5 writing tests will revert to pen and paper from 2028, reversing an online shift since 2018.
  • The move is driven by evidence of declining writing skills and concerns about excessive screen time; recent PISA results showed Australian students use digital devices 2.6 hours daily vs. 1.7 hours OECD average.
  • NSW also announced a broader classroom 'digital detox' with mandatory screen time limits from preschool to year 12; decisions on years 7 and 9 NAPLAN testing pending ACARA advice.
  • Educators support the shift but flag implementation challenges: marking costs, secondary school planning, typing instruction changes, and accommodations for students with learning difficulties.

The dispute Whether NAPLAN testing reliability itself is the issue (requiring daily testing per manufacturers) versus how results are used by schools for streaming decisions rather than instructional improvement. · positions read across 4 posts and comments

many voices

NAPLAN data is poorly used by schools for class streaming rather than genuine improvement.

  • “NAPLAN is fantastic data for schools to figure out where things are working and where they aren't. The data should absolutely never be released publicly…”

    Langley05642 · Reddit ↗
some voices

Student writing speed and practice need improvement independent of test format; motivation and assessment structure matter.

  • “The kids can't write fast enough because they don't practice and don't have situations where they need to write fast though. Unfortunately kids have fuck all intrinsic motivation these days.”

    amyknight22 · Reddit ↗

Prue CarPrue Car NSW Deputy Premier and Education MinisterMarian Vidal-Fernandez University of Sydney associate professor (economist)Anabela Malpique Edith Cowan University associate professorDany Elachi Founder of Heads Up AllianceAustralian education ministers Federal and state/territory leaders

How it unfolded 2 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlespostscomments

Peak 5 pieces in two hours at Nov 1, 2 PM; 10 pieces over 7 days (5 articles · 1 post · 4 comments) Nov 1, 2 PM — 5 pieces · 5 articles — Google News 4, Newswires 1Nov 1, 4 PM — quietNov 1, 6 PM — quietNov 1, 8 PM — quietNov 1, 10 PM — quietNov 2, 12 AM — quietNov 2, 2 AM — quietNov 2, 4 AM — quietNov 2, 6 AM — quietNov 2, 8 AM — quietNov 2, 10 AM — quietNov 2, 12 PM — quietNov 2, 2 PM — quietNov 2, 4 PM — 1 piece · 1 post — Reddit 1Nov 2, 6 PM — 3 pieces · 3 comments — Reddit 3Nov 2, 8 PM — quietNov 2, 10 PM — 1 piece · 1 comment — Reddit 1Nov 3, 12 AM — quietNov 3, 2 AM — quietNov 3, 4 AM — quietNov 3, 6 AM — quietNov 3, 8 AM — quietNov 3, 10 AM — quietNov 3, 12 PM — quietNov 3, 2 PM — quietNov 3, 4 PM — quietNov 3, 6 PM — quietNov 3, 8 PM — quietNov 3, 10 PM — quietNov 4, 12 AM — quietNov 4, 2 AM — quietNov 4, 4 AM — quietNov 4, 6 AM — quietNov 4, 8 AM — quietNov 4, 10 AM — quietNov 4, 12 PM — quietNov 4, 2 PM — quietNov 4, 4 PM — quietNov 4, 6 PM — quietNov 4, 8 PM — quietNov 4, 10 PM — quietNov 5, 12 AM — quietNov 5, 2 AM — quietNov 5, 4 AM — quietNov 5, 6 AM — quietNov 5, 8 AM — quietNov 5, 10 AM — quietNov 5, 12 PM — quietNov 5, 2 PM — quietNov 5, 4 PM — quietNov 5, 6 PM — quietNov 5, 8 PM — quietNov 5, 10 PM — quietNov 6, 12 AM — quietNov 6, 2 AM — quietNov 6, 4 AM — quietNov 6, 6 AM — quietNov 6, 8 AM — quietNov 6, 10 AM — quietNov 6, 12 PM — quietNov 6, 2 PM — quietNov 6, 4 PM — quietNov 6, 6 PM — quietNov 6, 8 PM — quietNov 6, 10 PM — quietYesterday, 12 AM — quietYesterday, 2 AM — quietYesterday, 4 AM — quietYesterday, 6 AM — quietYesterday, 8 AM — quietYesterday, 10 AM — quietYesterday, 12 PM — quietYesterday, 2 PM — quietYesterday, 4 PM — quietYesterday, 6 PM — quietYesterday, 8 PM — quietYesterday, 10 PM — quietToday, 12 AM — quietToday, 2 AM — quietToday, 4 AM — quietToday, 6 AM — quietToday, 8 AM — quietToday, 10 AM — quiet 12
Nov 2Nov 3Nov 4Nov 5Nov 6yesterdaynow · 11:49 AM ET
  1. 2

    Advocacy groups welcome move but urge broader action

    The Heads Up Alliance, a grassroots parent movement against screen time, welcomes the reforms but calls for more comprehensive measures, framing the 2008 Digital Education Revolution as 'a vast experiment on our children.'

    “New South Wales' recently announced screen time parameters and proposed NAPLAN reforms are welcome steps in the right direction. However, more will be needed to reverse the decline in Australian educational standards.”
    — Dany Elachi

    • NAPLAN is fantastic data for schools to figure out where things are working and where they aren't. The data should absolutely never be released publicly though (with the possible exception of the progress metric) Yeah no it isn't. Even the manufacturers of those test card systems say you have to test every day in order to get any reliable…

      Langley05642r/australia5d agoview on r/australia ↗
    2 more of the top 3 · 4 posts in this stretch

    • every school i have worked in has only used it for that. when assigning kids to classes in year 7, they are very based upon naplan results. and kids dont tend to change classes that much over the rest of the years, sure there will be 2-3 in each class who change, but thats another 25 or so who stay in the lower/higher performing classes.

      fuedr/australia5d agoview on r/australia ↗

    • The kids can’t write fast enough because they don’t practice and don’t have situations where they need to write fast though. Unfortunately kids have fuck all intrinsic motivation these days. So you need to give them things that the extrinsic motivators kick in for. Which unfortunately is often assessments.

      amyknight22r/australia5d agoview on r/australia ↗
    all of them →
  2. background

    Education ministers agree to year 5 NAPLAN return to pen and paper; broader digital detox announced — Australian education ministers formally agree that year 5 writing tests will revert to pen and paper from 2028. Prue Car announces state and territory ministers have also agreed to a wider 'digital detox' for Australian classrooms, with NSW mandatorily implementing screen time limits from 2028.

  3. background

    Education experts back the pen-and-paper shift — University of Sydney economist Marian Vidal-Fernandez and Edith Cowan University researcher Anabela Malpique support the proposal, citing research showing students perform worse when moved from handwriting to computer-based tests and noting that overseas studies from Portugal and the US show similar declines.

  4. 1

    NSW proposes reverting year 5 writing tests to pen and paper

    NSW Deputy Premier Prue Car announces that NSW will raise the issue at a national meeting of education ministers, citing national decline in writing skills and concerns about prolonged technology use affecting learning.

    “Ministers across the country have agreed that we work towards year 5 NAPLAN being writing with pen and paper, that will be in addition to year 3 already being pen and paper.”
    — Prue Car
    1. 4 outlets Year 5 NAPLAN writing test to return to pen and paper

      first by AFR, 6d ago · also ABC Australia, Toowoomba Chronicle, Australian Broadcasting Corporation

      3 more headlines
  5. background

    NAPLAN moves to online testing nationally — The national assessment first transitioned to computer-based testing to allow more precise testing and faster results.

What people are saying 1 voices from 1 site · best of 4 · verbatim