NAPLAN 2025: One in three students falling short. What needs to change?

School children in classroom listening to teacher

The results of latest NAPLAN assessment, completed by 1.3 million students in March, show that many children —particularly from disadvantaged backgrounds—are still falling through the cracks. Credit: JohnnyGreig/Getty Images

This year’s NAPLAN results reveal that one in three Australian students is not meeting minimum literacy and numeracy standards. Experts say the test is still an essential benchmark, and while the results are worrying, the annual assessment needs updating to reflect the realities of diverse classrooms. In this podcast, we talk to Dr Meera Vardharajan of La Trobe University and discuss what must change to lift student performance and make NAPLAN fairer for all.

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Published 11 August 2025 11:22am

Updated 22 August 2025 2:24pm

By Swati Sharma

Presented by Swati Sharma

Source: SBS

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This year’s NAPLAN results reveal that one in three Australian students is not meeting minimum literacy and numeracy standards. Experts say the test is still an essential benchmark, and while the results are worrying, the annual assessment needs updating to reflect the realities of diverse classrooms. In this podcast, we talk to Dr Meera Vardharajan of La Trobe University and discuss what must change to lift student performance and make NAPLAN fairer for all.

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