QUEENSLAND Catholic schools will not be required to conduct the new rollout of NAPLAN Online until 2018, the sector’s peak body confirmed today.
Queensland Catholic Education Commission confirmed Catholic schools would follow the government sector and delay the rollout until next year.
Around 22 Catholic schools in Queensland were scheduled to take part in the first stage roll out.
Instead QCEC has asked all Catholics schools to follow the Queensland government’s footsteps and deliver the tests alongside all education sectors so all students receive equal opportunities.
“Our focus is on ensuring that no school or students is disadvantaged by the way that NAPLAN testing is conducted,” QCEC executive director Dr Lee-Anne Perry said.
“We appreciate that there have been some concerns around the introduction of online testing and we support the Minister’s view that students, parents and school communities must have complete confidence in the system.
“It is our hope that by delaying the introduction for 12 months we will ensure the best possible system is introduced in our schools.”
NAPLAN, or the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy – was introduced in Australia in 2008 and informs governments, education authorities and schools on students’ progress in important learning goals.
The program will be moved online this year and will be administered nationally in May.
Dr Perry said Catholic schools were part of a cross-sectoral working group that was planning the best way to introduce the new online phase.
“We will continue to work with the government and independent sectors and the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority to ensure that when students undertake online testing they can be confident they are using a fair and effective system,” Dr Perry said.
