URGENT UPDATE – PLEASE DISTRIBUTE TO ALL MEMBERS & NON MEMBERS

The fight to prevent NAPLAN Data being misused and abused through such activities as creating league tables is by no means over for the SSTUWA and its members, nor is it over for our colleagues across the country.

The concerns of the profession with regard to misuse and abuse of NAPLAN data were sadly vindicated yet again on the weekend with the front page headline in the Weekend Australian May 1–2 2010: NATIONAL SURVEY RANKS OUR BEST SCHOOLS.

First we have had the ranking of schools and now we have the ranking of classrooms. 
REGISTER YOUR CONCERN & OBJECTIONS directly Julia Gillard and your local MP

Go to www.forourfuture.org.au

The SSTUWA and its members, along with thousands of teachers across Australia, continue to have major professional concerns with the NAPLAN testing program. Specifically, we find it difficult to understand how the Federal Minister for Education, in the face of such widespread concern from the profession and the taking of unprecedented national action, continues to insist on promoting this agenda.

Despite the significant attack on teacher unions and our members  across the country by Gillard, media and various Governments/ Departments through industrial commissions, we have continued to stand firm in our insistence that there are problems associated with NAPLAN and the misuse/abuse of the data which if not redressed will needlessly damage students, school communities, teachers and administrators.

In W.A. Orders were brought down by the WAIRC 23/4/10. The SSTUWA has advised its members of the Orders and is continuing to comply with those orders.

The SSTUWA is not prepared to sit still on the matter and is using every means it can, political and legal, to ensure that the professional concerns of its membership are fully aired and considered.

At the request of the SSTUWA a hearing was held on Tuesday 4/5/10.

IN LIGHT OF THE UNION’S SUBMISSIONS, THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION HAS NOW UNDERTAKEN NOT TO DISTRIBUTE THE DATA COLLECTED FROM THE TESTS UNTIL 30 JULY 2010.

This will now give the Union the opportunity to present all our arguments to the Industrial Relations Commission before the results can be used.

MEMBER FEEDBACK – in the lead up to further action in the WAIRC the Union will be seeking support from teacher/ administrator members to provide evidence on professional concerns and other issues with NAPLAN data misuse, as well as to be witnesses. Should you wish to contribute please forward an email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ,au

PARENTS & COMMUNITY - Many parents understand the concerns the profession has about misuse and abuse of NAPLAN data and endorse those concerns. Remember, an option for a parent is to withdraw their child from taking the NAPLAN ... this includes teachers and administrators who have children in the target years.

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