The Wire

Last week, the Council of Australian Government’s Reform Council released a report indicating that Aboriginal disadvantage in education is worsening. COAG used data from NAPLAN – the National Assessment Program, Literacy and Numeracy – and found that the targets of the Indigenous Education Action Plan in regards to readiness for school, attendance, engagement and connection, and literacy and numeracy were not being met. This flies in the face of the federal government’s commitment of nearly $50 million to closing the gap. Is NAPLAN a suitable method for measuring education achievements of Aboriginal people? I