Back to basics education critical to combating disastrous NAPLAN results made worse by Labor’s failed school reforms

The disastrous 2024 NAPLAN results show there is a national crisis in Australian schools, compounded by Labor’s failed school reform agenda.

This academic scorecard reflects the dire state of school education across the nation.

With one third of students continuing to fail NAPLAN, the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority’s claim these “stable” results are “an important achievement” is an embarrassment.

Across the four NAPLAN test areas of reading, writing, conventions of language (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy, Year 9 students fared the worst, with 35.3 per cent failing to reach minimum standards of proficiency, falling into either the ‘developing’ or ‘needs additional support’ categories.

The Albanese government has failed to deliver the national school reforms it promised and Australian children and their families are paying the price. Rather than put students first, Education Minister Jason Clare has become embroiled in a school funding war with the states which is a mess of Labor’s own making.

Delivering a back to basics education sharply focused on literacy and numeracy, underpinned by explicit teaching and a knowledge-rich, common sense curriculum, is critical to raising school standards.

It is shocking so many young Australians do not reach minimum standards of literacy and numeracy. Getting back to basics also means ridding the classroom of indoctrination and other activist causes.

Every child deserves to reach his or her best potential. That is why it is vital to support our nation's hard working educators with evidence-based teaching resources so they can excel in the classroom.