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SEPTEMBER 2019
In October and November, around 12,000 students will be involved in NAP sample assessments to test their skills and understanding in civics and citizenship. Only selected groups of students in Years 6 and 10 participate in these sample assessments, which are held on a rolling three-yearly basis (testing skills in either civics and citizenship,
information and communication technology, or science literacy).
The schools that have been selected to participate are chosen via a representative selection process. The sample selection process is designed to ensure there is adequate representation of the states and territories as well as government, Catholic and independent school sectors.
If your son or daughter is participating this year, there's an information sheet for parents and carers on the NAP website, as well as a section for parents and some FAQs.
How do your political discussions at home influence your child's opinion about political parties? What influence does social media have? This video is one of the work samples for Civics and Citizenship featured on the Australian Curriculum website.
LATEST NEWS
New research into education and parenting
- School readiness: A national survey of Australian parents of children aged 12 or under found that 76% of parents feel social confidence, followed by verbal confidence (61%), emotional maturity (58%) and a degree of reading ability (40%), are the top things that a child needs when it comes to school readiness.
- Online activity: According to the Office of the eSafety Commissioner, common concerns parents have about their child being online include exposure to inappropriate content other than pornography (38%), contact with strangers (37%) and being bullied online (34%).
- Social and emotional skills: A new study by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is currently underway. The study will provide insights on how schools can support students to develop social and emotional skills.
- Parent expectations: Researchers from Monash University’s Faculty of Education have found that a combination of unreasonable family expectations and language barriers between parents and educational leaders disadvantaged students in their final years of secondary school.
New resources for parent engagement
'Gearing up for Parent Engagement in Student Learning' is a new toolkit developed by Catholic School Parents Australia to help parents support their children in transitioning into primary and secondary school. Topics covered include children's wellbeing and learning at home, and developing and maintaining relationships. Click on the relevant link below to access the resources.
Australian Parents Council: 2019 parent survey
Do you have a great relationship with your child's teacher and school, or are there things that could work better? Are you kept in the loop or do you sometimes have difficulty getting information, feedback or simply communicating? The Australian Parents Council wants to hear from you. Take part in their 2019 survey, open to all parents of school-age children in Australia.
Q&A
Q: What can I do if I'm unhappy about my child's NAPLAN results?
A: If you are concerned about your child's NAPLAN results, you should discuss these concerns with your child's teacher, who has the best insight into your child's educational progress. However, it is important to remember that NAPLAN only gives a 'snapshot' of your child's performance on the days of the assessments – in other words, it's only one point in time – and results should always be interpreted with care.
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