NAPLAN Results Positive, Yet Challenges Remain
The 2025 NAPLAN results released today show encouraging signs of improvement in numeracy and literacy.
While overall results are broadly stable with two thirds of students achieving at the “strong” or “exceeding” proficiency level, numeracy results improved across years 5, 7 and 9. This is the first time this has happened across all these cohorts since 2017.
There were also increases for 5, 7 and 9 in reading.
This is encouraging, but there is more work to do.
That’s what the agreements we have struck with every state and territory are all about.
The Commonwealth Government has now signed agreements with all states and territories to fix the funding of public schools.
This is the biggest investment in public schools by the Australian government ever, worth $16 billion over the next 10 years.
It is also not a blank cheque.
It is tied to real, practical reforms to reduce the number of students who need additional support for literacy and numeracy, and help students who fall behind to catch up, keep up and finish school.
This includes:
• Year 1 phonics checks and numeracy checks
• Evidence-based teaching practices, and
• More individualised support for students who need it, such as with small group tutoring.
All states and territories have or have agreed to roll out phonics checks this year or next year, and all states and territories, except Western Australia, have agreed to pilot or roll out numeracy checks next year – ahead of the date agreed in the Better and Fairer Schools Agreements.
Quotes attributable to the Minister for Education Jason Clare:
“The improvements in literacy and numeracy are good news, but there’s more work to do.
“That’s what the new agreements we’ve now signed with every state and territory are all about.
“These agreements fix the funding of our public schools.
“They’re the biggest investment by the Australian Government in public schools ever.
“And this is not a blank cheque. This funding is tied to real and practical reforms.
“These reforms are now starting to roll out.
“Phonics checks and numeracy checks to identify students who need additional support, and evidence-based teaching and catch-up tutoring to help them keep up and catch up.”
https://ministers.education.gov.au/clare/naplan-results-show-encouraging-signs-more-work-do