Reading and writing scores are going backwards for almost every age group in Australia’s national standardised school tests, with one in three students still failing to meet NAPLAN benchmarks. Source: The Guardian.
This year’s tests were taken in March by 1.2 million students across years 3, 5, 7 and 9 to measure literacy and numeracy proficiency, with results released today by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA).
Participation was down compared with last year due to industrial action in Tasmania and flooding in the Northern Territory, which has led ACARA to not report Tasmanian state-level results as it lagged “far below” the body’s data standards for accurate reporting.
The tests were also marred by disruption over a technical issue on the first day for students completing writing papers in years 5, 7 and 9. ACARA said national average scores in writing remained similar to last year but it has included a caveat for results, instead of implementing marking adjustments.
One in three students weren’t meeting benchmarks across reading, numeracy and writing, which had not budged since 2025, and one in 10 needed “additional support”, meaning they would need further help to progress and were not working towards expectations.
Average reading scores in years 5, 7 and 9 went backwards compared with 2025, and more students were needing additional support in both reading and writing. Average reading scores were stable for year 3 students.
The average proportion of students “exceeding” and “strong” at reading was 66.3 per cent, down from 68.2 per cent last year
There were some improvements in national numeracy levels since the tests were reset in 2023 for students in years 5, 7 and 9, with the highest national average score of 67 per cent meeting benchmarks and 29,000 more students “exceeding”.
The gains were also evident among Indigenous students, with more “exceeding” in years 7 and 9 compared with 2023 and average scores among year 5 and 7 students at the highest level since the tests were reset.
But for year 3 students, the average national numeracy score was the lowest it had been since 2023.
Education Minister Jason Clare said the results showed “real challenges” as well as “how to fix them”, pointing to an ongoing numeracy review across primary school levels, spearheaded by ACARA as a result of previous NAPLAN data.
FULL STORY
Reading and writing worsens in Australian schools as one in three students fail to meet NAPLAN benchmarks (By Caitlin Cassidy, The Guardian)
