I read with great frustration the article in The Age, 11 November about the school’ report card. It is with great concern and disappointment, that despite research across the world that indicates the most meaningful assessment and reporting to families is about looking holistically at a child,( rather than through graphs and numbers and ranks) Australia is using a political and economic approach in attempting to measure and quantify the quality of a child’s education. It is worth noting the wonderful quote, “many are schooled, few are educated”.
As a consultant in education and child development across the county, it is disturbing to hear so many schools “teaching to the test” in order to have their “data” look good for government.
Is this where we have arrived in education in the 21st century in a supposed sophisticated society?
Meaningful assessment is not about comparison with one child or one school and another. It is about the richness of growth and achievement of an individual, from where they started and where they get to and the pace and productivity along the journey.
Education is not a race to be won, it is not about scores on a page. It is selling parents short to think that parents will be satisfied or provided with accurate information based upon flawed national testing.
It is a sad situation we face here in Australia. Why we cannot learn from countries like Finland. Why we cannot take notice of landmark research from Cambridge University that highlights the need for more holistic learning, an older starting age and less fixated approach about measuring literacy is almost beyond me.!!