Minister unwilling to help students

AUSTRALIA – The Australian Education Union (AEU) has said that teachers would continue with a national moratorium on the 2010 ­NAPLAN tests.

The decision was taken after a meeting with education minister Julia Gillard in which she ruled out taking any steps to protect students from the misuse of test data posted on the My School website.

AEU federal president Angelo Gavrielatos said: “The minister only had one message and that was she would not negotiate.

“She rejected a proposal to convene a working party with representatives from the government and the union that would sit down and try and find a solution to this dispute.

“That is disappointing given the deep concerns teachers have about the misleading way test data is being presented on the My School website and the failure of the government to stop this data being used to name and shame schools in league tables.

“The AEU remains willing to engage in good faith negotiations to achieve a resolution to this dispute which would allow the tests to proceed.

“Unless the minister is willing to negotiate, the moratorium on the tests will remain in place.
“Teachers cannot hand out a test when we know the results will be misused to brand students and schools as failures in league tables.

“We have repeatedly tried to get the government to do two things: improve the My School website so it contains accurate and meaningful information for parents and protect students and school communities from the misuse of student data in league tables.”