Those NAPLAN results

being reported in this morning's paper are just slightly ridiculous. For the uninitiated abroad these are the national assessment of school students in area like reading, writing and numeracy skills. Schools get "assessed" too - in that what their students achieve gets ranked as well. 

I looked at the list. At the junior level eight of the twenty schools are fee paying. Several of the state schools are those which have the reputation of being "the school you send your kids to if you want superior facilities but don't want to pay fees". They are schools where parents expect discipline to be good and teachers to provide a very high standard of both teaching and other services. There are a few smaller country schools and the remaining city schools tend to be smaller. The dual language school (French/English) does not make the list but many of their students don't do the assessment. It is still a school with a very long waiting list.

At the senior level seventeen of the twenty schools were fee paying schools. One of the three state schools is an "international" high school with strict requirements, another is a "music" school. Both are in very affluent areas where parents tend to be professionals. The third has many affluent parents too and a great many students from backgrounds where there is a cultural tradition of education being something that is considered very, very important.

The three closest "primary" (junior) schools do not appear on the list. It does not surprise me. They are simply good schools doing the best they can. One of them has what might be called "streamed" maths at the upper level. The best students are being given additional work to challenge them. All the schools have good facilities and hard working staff.

There will be complaints that these schools are not "up to standard" but is that really the case? Are the rankings really all there is to school?

Schools are about to embark on their long summer break. One of the teachers I know is already preparing for next year. No doubt others are as well. They will go on doing their best with a wide mix of students. They have said goodbye to this year's year six students. Those students will go on to high school - both state and private. Some of them will go to university. Others will go into trades or other areas. The vast majority of them will be a "success" in their own way. 

I think that is what really matters. If they read more books on the way then I think we are doing well.