2024 NAPLAN RESULTS REVEAL EFFECTS OF DECADE-LONG DELAYS TO PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING

The 2024 NAPLAN results have delivered a damning indictment on the failure of governments to fully fund public schools and show, once again, the urgency of the Albanese Government delivering on their pre-election promise for public schools to be funded at 100% of the Schooling Resource Standard.

NAPLAN is just one measure of student achievement however its data adds to the large evidence base about inequality and the unacceptable achievement gaps between students from different backgrounds.

Correna Haythorpe, Federal President, AEU said the 2024 NAPLAN results highlight the fact that the decade long delays in fully funding public schools have left “priority cohorts” of the country’s most vulnerable students without the essential funding needed for teaching and learning .

“Australia cannot close achievement gaps without closing resourcing gaps. It is long past time for governments to close the resource gaps impacting on public schools.” said Ms Haythorpe.

The 2024 NAPLAN results show that:

• Achievement gaps for First Nations students and non-Indigenous students are wider in year 9 in writing and numeracy than they are in year 3.
• More than 90% of First Nations students in the Northern Territory have been assessed as “needing additional support” across a range of domains.
• Achievement gaps for students from low Socio-Educational Advantage (SEA) households and high Socio-Educational Advantage households are wider in year 9 in writing and numeracy than they are in year 3.
• Students from low SEA households are eight times more likely than students from high SEA backgrounds to require additional support in numeracy than their high SEA peers.
• Whilst the percentage of students from high SEA backgrounds who “need additional support” in reading is smaller at year 9 (3.9%) than year 3 (4.6%), the percentage of students from low SEA backgrounds who need additional support in reading increases by more than 6 times from 4.5% to 29.8% in year 9.

Of significant concern is the number of First Nations students who were assessed at the “needs additional support” level in reading (at 34%) and numeracy (at 33%), almost four times the number of non-Indigenous students

Quotes attributable to Correna Haythorpe:

“The results show that the current funding system is leaving the students with the highest levels of need without the support they need to thrive, which is completely unacceptable.”

“Teachers and education support personnel work very hard to cater for all of their students’ needs but they must be backed by governments with full funding.”

“Prime Minister Albanese and Education Minister Jason Clare’s recent funding ultimatum to state governments will not close the public school funding gaps. We need urgent action now with a full 25% from the Commonwealth and 75% from state and territory governments to ensure that all schools are funded at 100% of the Schooling Resource Standard.”

“As a nation, we cannot leave the most vulnerable students without the resources and support they need to fulfil their potential.”

“It is public schools that educate the most vulnerable students in Australia with 82 percent of students from low socio-educational advantage backgrounds and 83 percent of First Nations students. This makes full funding for public schools a non-negotiable to ensure that all students and teachers are receiving the vital funds needed for high quality teaching and learning.”

ENDS

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