The Australian argues that although girls outperform boys in reading, writing, spelling and grammar, while boys outperform girls in numeracy in NAPLAN testing, each of those skills is a basic building block that every child needs to master.
To that end, the paper suggests that University education courses must prepare prospective teachers to work with all students, whatever their strengths and weaknesses, to optimise results for all.
According to Australian Bureau of Statistics and OECD surveys, at least a third of adult Australians struggle with basic literacy and numeracy tasks, which hinders job prospects and quality of life.
The Australian says NAPLAN is a valuable initiative to help redress our serious educational defects, even though there are views that standardized testing cannot be the ultimate measure of a successful education.
It also argues that such testing is essential to assess the basics students need to unlock their potential in scientific, creative and business pursuits in the future.
