AND
I DON'T WANT
NAPLAN TESTING
I'm getting rather angry at all the politicians who keep telling me PARENTS want this test.
I'd like to see the PROOF that Parents want this test.
And viewing a website is NOT proof, that is curiosity.
I looked at the My Schools to see what is on there and I was totally unimpressed.
AS a PARENT I am going to refuse to send my child to school for these tests.
Naplan testing this year is from May 11th to 13th.
26 comments:
You can come and spend the week with us and do home school.
As a parent I like knowing where my children are in comparison to state averages and such. As a teacher the information is useful to structure work that is literacy and numeracy appropriate for students. The idea that any of this should be used to belittle particular schools is abhorrent. I know teachers that teach at one of the Victorian schools that was in the state's bottom 5. They are outstanding, dedicated teachers who are taking the illiterate and unemployable and dragging them kicking and screaming up to "below average". To be publicised as "bottom 5" is heartbreaking.
I will support the AEU and will not Naplan test until the results are used only for the right reasons.
I don't know what naplan testing is, better go google ... thanks
I think that it is 30 years too late.
Too many children are arriving at High school and still lack basic literacy and numeracy skills. Not only that, the teachers who taught them have no idea why they were so far behind.
My wife taught LAP for several years, at our local (Jamestown)Secondary School and found several students whose parents had no idea that their child, (young adult by this time) was dyslexic, because there was no standard in place by which to judge them.
Had this have been picked up earlier that child could have had specialist help.
Those children (now adults) have been severely disadvantaged by the present system.
If we are going to be the "smart" country it must change.
My son has dyslexia. I've been told there is no funding to help him. He has funding due to an expressive language disorder.
Pete and I had to have James diagnosed at our own expense in Adelaide with an Educational psychologist. If the amount of money spent by this govt on this test was spent in school providing more aides and teachers I feel this would fix a lot more problems.
I've never understood how a parent could not notice their child can't read. Parenting is also an important factor in literacy.
Oh, believe me,... it happens. Particularly among children of parents who admit that they were not good students themselves.
Like all parents, firstly no one likes to think that their child is perhaps "less than the average", on top of which they often only have low expectations for their children remembering what their own schooling was like.
This allows the child to "go down the gurgler" often without so much as the slightest interest from those who should be aware of what is going on.
"Brighter" parents usually start asking questions early. This at least gives the child every chance, (even if you have to do it off your own bat). As you say, if you take an interest, and are aware of what your child(ren) should be achieving, it is usually quite apparent that something is not quite right.
P.S. Don't despair, Dyslexic children are often gifted in many other ways.
Why? Just curious, mind you!!
Dyslexia presents itself in many forms and degrees of affliction. Some sufferers just have difficulty in resolving simple things like differentiating between b and d, or p and q for example. Some seem have difficulty correlating the shapes of letters and the sounds associated with them.
Yet the same persons can be brilliant at Mathematics, music, art and often have highly developed spatial awareness. There are others more profoundly affected, but even so, a lot can be done if the problem is diagnosed early. Just recognising the fact that a child is dyslexic leads to better outcomes and saves the child a lot of misery.
We have a dyslexic lady in this town who has successfully completed degree studies at university and has done extremely well for herself in her chosen profession. Much of her success is as a result of her uniquely "different" approach to problem solving.
I have dyslexia. It runs in families and both Pete and I have family members with dyslexia. When I was growing up there was very little understanding of dyslexia. My parents were even told by a teacher that I should be tested for an intellectual handicap. I did go on to complete a degree.
Why I don't like the politicians saying Parents want it? Because I don't think it's true that ALL parents want this test.
Why I won't send the kids to sit it? Well last time James was very anxious and upset about sitting the test. Then when the result came back, he cried.
I also don't believe it is a fair test of a child's or a schools achievement.
The results are being used in a way that is humiliating to school communities.
Private schools have been reported in newspapers to be pre-testing children before they enroll them. Not wanting to take on children who may have learning difficulties in an effort to have higher scores and be able to charge higher fees.
Little schools that do a great job and take children with learning difficulties score poorly on these tests. As the 'poorly' achieving students pull down the overall score of the school.
I can't say if parents "want" it, but the children certainly deserve it.
You display great creativity with your sewing and craft work and obviously have a great flair for entertaining writing. Reading your blog would give no sign of your dyslexia. As I said, it is not always a burden.
If it is diagnosed and the extent of the problem is seen, then hopefully we can then start putting pressure in the relevant departments to do something about it. (provide some money).
The tests are not meant to make everyone happy, they are designed to highlight where kids are having difficulty as this is only way that something can be done about it.
To my way of thinking, hiding the fact that a child has dyslexia does them no favours at all. I can think of two kids that I went to school with, that today would no doubt be diagnosed as dyslexic. Because their problem was unknown at the time, they were largely written off and forgotten about, thought to be "dumb" and treated very poorly.
I left my original Primary school whilst I was in grade seven, one of those children was still in grade three because no allowance could be made for his affliction. Barry is today an invalid pensioner, and has never had a decent chance in life. He's not stupid, he has been a much liked Scoutmaster for over 30 years, he works with disadvantaged kids and raises poultry that regularly wins prizes at the Adelaide show.
We only lived a few doors apart until I was 12, and I lost track of him for 30 years, but since finding him again, I see him as often as I can.
He's had a very hard life. Much of it could all have been avoided or at least minimised had they have known what his trouble was. To my way of thinking, it has been a terrible waste of a valuable person.
Today people are aware of these and other learning difficulties but the kids need to be tested uniformly so that these things can be detected.
All we need then, is to get the Government to do something for them.
The Naplan doesn't diagnose dyslexia. Dyslexia is diagnosed with a series of tests done with an Educational psychologist. The tests cover things like short term memory and ability to remember things in sequence. The tests are done over a couple of sessions. A diagnosis can also involve a checklist of skills which is completed by a classroom teacher, parent and special Education teacher. Naplan may identify there is a problem, but there are other ways to do that.
Anon .. You are very right. We do need more funding for kids with learning difficulties. There is No funding in SA schools for kids with dyslexia. Thanks you for the compliment about the blog :) I still struggle with writing and often have re edit a few times. I still have problems with the orders of letters in certain words. I'm shocking with because I always spell it becuase! and have to read it a few times. And I'm always muddling up OUR and ARE. I excelled in maths and that meant I got to do subjects which didn't require much writing. Some people with Dyslexia have problems with numeracy as well due to not being able to remember the order of numerals.
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Testing has it place and I agree that it is a very useful tool.
But it will show that children are having problems, and they deserve to have every chance.
I feel that to deny a child the chance to be involved would be like denying them the chance to be examined by a doctor if they were not well. It may give the parent great peace of mind, but won't do a thing for the benefit of the child.
I think the worst thing for children's education in the last 40 years was the removal of annual examinations. Children get promoted beyond their abilities which leaves them confused and severely disadvantaged and severely frustrates the teachers who then have to teach them separately or just forget them and go on with the others.
They will not get special consideration when they go into the workforce so we should make every effort to help them while we can. Better understanding of the problems is the first step in that direction.
Hah,... you only re-edit your blog several times,.... :-)
I re edit my comments time and time again.
I find your Blog is absolutely "brilliant". Over the years I have started numerous blogs, but could never in my wildest dreams compete with your bright, bubbly and informative style. Believe it or not, I think I can say that I have read the most part of it not withstanding the fact that it would be considered by many to be a "Ladies" Blog. :-)
I am in awe of your craft skills, as I have always had a great admiration for those who are "good" with their hands, plus I feel your general outlook on life is inspirational.
I could have emailed you with much of this, but I felt that it was better discussed in the public arena as every little titbit of information helps make others aware of what some people fight against every day of their lives.
We have a very close friend with a dyslexic teen aged daughter, she is without a doubt, one of the brightest persons I know, both intellectually and in her outlook, she is also very gifted, and who whilst still barely a teenager, has received many accolades for her community work.
Yes,... she is teased and tormented by some, (Jealousy) but sticks to her aims with a determination that would put me and most adults to shame. I'm about as set in my ways as they come, although this is probably bought about by my age rather than wisdom.
This is a fascinating discussion.
It is a highly emotive issue for some, but in the end, the welfare of our nation's children must come first.
Like all things, we must be prepared to accept some discomfort if we are to gain something out of this. Everyone will benefit to some degree in the end, but the younger generations who come through it will have the most to gain in years to come.
I do disagree. I can't see how upsetting my son is good for the nation. I already know he has problems. They are already being dealt with. My children won't be sitting the test.
Yes it is an emotive issue
Made more so by the way the govt is using the results to humiliate children and their schools by publishing the results as they do. All done for the sake of a few votes not the welfare of our nations children or their academic success.
If we are such a poorly performing nation why do we produce such talented scientists and doctors?
I'm not anti testing I'm just anti this test and the way the government is using it.
I do take my children to the doctors and I don't expect the Govt to nationally publish the results of their medicals. (I just had to be cheeky and add that one ;)) I'm rather enjoying our debate. It's good to hear an alternate point of view. Makes you clarify why you believe what you believe. Thank you :D
There's an interesting research paper linked HERE It's American but explores If National Testing Improves Student Learning and is well worth a read.
Also another interesting read HERE
Unfortunately the first link is now no longer available, and I can't come to believe the second as it is a blatant political statement. I steadfastly refuse to use the issue of what is best for our children as a political football. I'll leave that to our politicians.
As far as I understand it, the public disclosure of the results does not name specific children, but it does name the schools concerned, which is good, as it highlights those schools that need more funds and attention.
We can't in all honesty beg more money for special projects if we can't show that our school needs it. These tests will do just that.
We have to stop the rot where the large well known schools ( The Scotch Colleges etc*) get all the funding, and the smaller less well known and under privileged schools are left with the dregs if anything.
*This is NOT a shot at Scotch College, merely an example.
I really think that I've said enough on the matter.
I agree with you Tracy. An interesting debate. I too am apprehensive about the testing. I have a child who does quite well and to date has only the difficulty of a broken arm.
It's a few years off for us but at this stage, if I was faced with placing Henry in a hall for an exam, I'd be refusing the testing.
A highly emotive subject just like circumcision and immunisation, but certainly worth a constructive debate in my opinion
I have been following this debate with great interest.
I just wanted to add my 2 cents.
Parents are the first educators of their children. If a child has gone through all their primary years of schooling and the parents don't know that they have some learning difficulty, I believe they have neglected their duty. Any parent that is reading with their children every night or looking through their school books on a regular basis would surely start to recognise if a child has a problem or not. You don't have to be a trained teacher to see that a child is having some difficulty. I know all the areas my children excel in and those that they have difficulty in.
Two years ago one of my daughters did the naplan test and even though she is fairly smart and understands most of the concepts taught in class, she didn't score well with this test. I went and spoke with her teacher about it and he told me that he was just as surprised as me with her results.
This child reads every night to her siblings and has excelled in school for just about every subject. She never neglects her work at school or home.
With this in mind, I don't think the test really shows us a true picture of how well a child is doing.
@ Mum2eight
What you say about parents knowing that their child is having difficulties is what is known as a "Truism"
Because there are a surprising number of parents, who, like their children had great difficulties in school and even as adults have little or no idea of where their children should be. This is usually as a result of the fact that they never understood their own schooling and in turn only have relatively low expectations for their children. They see, not doing well at school as a normal part of growing up because that is how they experienced it.
Also in the truism category is the thought that "all parents know what is best for their children". There are parents who for all manner of reasons put their children at serious risk every day, sometimes for religious reasons and at other times as a result of personal prejudices. Parents are not solely to blame, we had a case in this town several years ago, where a teenage girl was put at considerable risk by the Department of Social Services. ????
Unfortunately we only read about the cases that end in tragedy, but there are a considerable number of children at risk in our respective communities at any given time.
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