http://www.smh.com.au/comment/my-heart-sank-why-the-hscnaplan-link-has-to-go-20170822-gy1thb.html

NAPLAN results arrived in schools last week and were posted home to all Year 3, 5, 7 and 9 families. The subsequent media coverage did little to help Year 9 students keep things in perspective. For the first time this cohort have to meet minimum standards to receive a HSC – and NAPLAN – a diagnostic test never designed to be a prerequisite benchmark for another exam, has now become a pressure point for Year 9 students. The article by Anthony Farley takes both a personal as well as a wider educational view. Why are we entering into a place where 14 and 15 year old students are thinking about an HSC? Principals, teachers, parents and students are all asking this same question. While the performance of NSW may improve in literacy and numeracy, the impact on the individual child has been forgotten. So what does a good education system look like? I agree with the author – certainly not one that forgets about the impact on the child.