NSW schools are to be spared

AUSTRALIA – A Greens amendment passed by the NSW Upper House recently will prohibit the publication of league tables comparing the performance of individual schools in NSW newspapers.

Greens NSW MP John Kaye said: “The Rees government’s legislation would have handed over the common skills testing results of every school in the state to the federal government’s website without any protection on the use of the data.

“Simplistic league tables would have inevitably followed.

“Media outlets could have easily harvested the results and published rankings from top to bottom, stigmatising many excellent schools.

“Our amendment will stop newspapers published in NSW from comparing schools without their permission.

“Schools in this state have been spared the humiliation and damage to educational outcomes that league tables have caused in the UK and the USA.

“The challenge is now on other states and territories and the Commonwealth government to implement similar protections for schools around Australia.

“Schools that are struggling need help, not public humiliation.

“The strong vote for our amendment is a tribute to the education unions, principal organisations, parents and citizens bodies, students and teachers who warned politicians of the damage that would have been done to many schools,” Dr Kaye said.