Tasmanian teachers, represented by the Australian Education Union (AEU), have announced an indefinite ban on administering NAPLAN tests to students across public schools. This move signifies a significant escalation in industrial action, driven by ongoing disputes over pay and improved working conditions, particularly for teaching assistants.
The National Assessment Program — Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is a nationwide assessment typically undertaken by students in Years 3, 5, 7, and 9 each year. It comprises four distinct tests designed to gauge students’ literacy and numeracy skills. Tasmanian students were scheduled to commence these assessments from next Wednesday, with the testing window originally set to run from March 11 to March 23.
However, the AEU has made it clear that its members will not participate in any aspect of the NAPLAN testing process. This includes refraining from administering the tests, undertaking any preparatory tasks, or covering classes to facilitate the assessments.
The Rationale Behind the NAPLAN Ban
David Genford, President of AEU Tasmania, explained that the ban is not intended to disrupt student learning. Instead, he stated, it is a strategic measure designed to exert pressure on the state government.
“This is an example of extra workload that is put on staff, for the benefit of the government and the data that they want,” Mr Genford commented. “NAPLAN doesn’t have a real impact on students.” He further elaborated that the significant effort invested in NAPLAN is not commensurate with the workload it imposes on teachers and the pressure it places on students.
“We hear stories of students being stressed out about NAPLAN when really all it was ever meant to be is a snapshot of where your school is at and even where the state is at,” he added. “But we’ve made it an individual test that puts pressure on kids, and that’s not ideal.”
Varying Levels of Disruption Expected
The actual impact of the NAPLAN ban on students scheduled to undertake the tests this month is expected to vary significantly from school to school. This variation will largely depend on the proportion of union members at each educational institution.
“There’s going to be a lot of schools out there that don’t have enough non-union members to run the tests,” Mr Genford observed. “We’re going to see it vary from school to school, but I think it’s quite possible that you’re going to see students not sitting the tests at all.”
Mr Genford emphasised that union members would much rather be focusing on their primary role: teaching.
Rising Tensions Over Pay and Conditions
The NAPLAN ban is the latest in a series of industrial actions undertaken by the AEU in recent months, as negotiations with the state government regarding a new pay agreement have encountered persistent roadblocks.
Public sector unions, including the AEU, have been engaged in protracted wage negotiations with the state government for several months. In December, Tasmanian police secured a new wage package that included a 3 per cent pay rise for the initial two years, followed by a 2.75 per cent increase in the third year, along with additional entitlements and allowances.
The AEU and other public sector unions have been offered the same base pay increase. However, they argue that the police agreement includes supplementary allowances, which effectively amount to an additional 1 per cent increase, and they are seeking parity.
“There are hidden allowance payments, hidden costs, that have been given to the police, that are not being given to us,” Mr Genford stated. “All we’re asking for is something fair that we can take to our members. We’re open to how that gets matched so that our members get a 4 per cent pay rise in the first year. But at the moment, that is not what’s being put on the table.”
Addressing the Workload Crisis
Beyond pay increases, the union is also demanding that the proposed wage agreement address the critical “workload crisis” plaguing Tasmania’s public schools.
“We need to make sure that what we do in these negotiations actually does address the violence we’re seeing in schools and the workloads that people are under,” Mr Genford asserted. “We can’t simply keep going the way that we are. We’ll continue to see people leave the profession. We’ll continue to see people not want to come to the state to take up teaching or to be a support staff member.”
Minister’s Response and Future Actions
Tasmanian Education Minister Jo Palmer expressed her disappointment with the union’s decision to engage in industrial action.
“Our top priority will be to ensure we can minimise disruption and the impact on student learning,” Ms Palmer said in a statement. “We are committed to delivering fair and affordable agreements through respectful and constructive negotiations, as we have done with police, doctors, firefighters and education facility attendants.”
Despite the minister’s reassurances, the AEU has indicated that school closures could become a reality if a satisfactory agreement is not reached.
“If the premier and treasurer don’t feel as though this is important, then we will see further strikes this month,” Mr Genford warned.
