STUDENTS across NSW are continuing to perform above the national average according to the latest NAPLAN results released last week.
NSW Minister for Education and Early Learning Sarah Mitchell congratulated the 400,000 NSW students, their teachers and schools that took part in NAPLAN online this year. She noted that their results confirmed the government’s focus on regional education, and the early years, to ensure all students, no matter where they live, reach their full potential.
“The 2022 NAPLAN National Report is a testament to the hard work of our teachers and schools in NSW who, despite the disruption of the pandemic and natural disasters, have made sure our students continue to learn,” Ms Mitchell said.
“The proportion of NSW students in the highest NAPLAN band is above the national average in every domain and at all year levels – a real testament to the quality teaching taking place in our schools across the state.”
The 2022 NAPLAN National Report highlights that NSW ranks in the top three jurisdictions by mean scores in all domains for all year levels except in Year 9 reading, are first or equal first in spelling, grammar and punctuation and numeracy for years 3 to 9, writing for year 3, and reading for year 7, as well as equal second in mean scores in writing for years 5 and 7.
Ms Mitchell also highlighted action to drive further improvements in areas such as year 9 boys’ literacy, year 5 numeracy and regional students.
“As a regional minister, I am particularly focused on doing everything we can to help our regional students match their metropolitan counterparts,” she said.
“That’s why we will be reviewing the Regional Rural and Remote Education Strategy to ensure it is responding to these latest NAPLAN results.
“We have to make sure our country kids have the support they need.”
Ms Mitchell said she is committed to ensuring that no matter where they are located, NSW students will have strong foundations in literacy and numeracy as a new curriculum is rolled out.
Overall participation rates for the 2022 NAPLAN across NSW were amongst the highest in the country, despite the impact of the pandemic and natural disasters.
From 2023, improvements to NAPLAN, including bringing testing forward to Term 1, will also come into effect.
Balranald Central School and St Joseph’s Primary School both declined to comment.
