NATIONAL LITERACY AND NUMERACY TESTS

Mr PISONI (Unley) (14:46): My question is for the Minister for Education and Child Development. Why did South Australian students achieve worse NAPLAN results this year compared to last year, in 14 out of 20 categories?

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI (Hartley—Minister for Education and Child Development) (14:46): I thank the member for this very important question. The first thing I want to say about NAPLAN is that I support the NAPLAN testing. I think this is a very, very important instrument for measuring student and school performance. This year's results show that, generally speaking, South Australia has been very stable over the past four years of testing.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr Pisoni: Worse results in 14 categories!

The SPEAKER: Order, member for Unley!

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: The overall state results for NAPLAN show that the vast majority of South Australian students are achieving at or above the national minimum standard in all areas, with many areas recording more than 95 per cent—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: —of students achieving at or above this benchmark.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Minister, can you sit down until we have some quiet. I can't hear you. Order! Thank you, minister.

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: I will acknowledge that while we do not sit at the top of the table, our students—

Mr Pisoni: Try somewhere around the bottom!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: —are comparing very well to students in other states. Our results in writing, at the year 7 and year 9 levels, are particularly pleasing.

Mr Pisoni: That's because we've got fewer computers!

The SPEAKER: Member for Unley, you're warned for the second time.

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: As a consumer of public education, as a parent, I have to say I welcome the NAPLAN test because it gives us data that we haven't had before. What we need to remember is that it is one—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Unley, you're warned for the third time. The next time you will go, and it will be for three days. Minister.

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: What we need to remember is that NAPLAN is one of the tools in the toolkit. We are supporting our families, we are supporting our students, and we are supporting our teachers and school communities.