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2024 NAPLAN results show there is no time to wait for urgent education reforms

Media releases

14 August 2024

The NAPLAN results out today show that nearly one in 10 students need additional support to meet minimum literacy and numeracy standards, but that figure soars to around one in three for students who come from low-socioeconomic backgrounds. For First Nations students and young people living in remote areas the figures are one in three and one in four, respectively.

Despite over a decade of data showing that students from low-SES backgrounds were struggling with their literacy and numeracy, no improvements were made in that time, and the more recent data just confirms that these students are still struggling.

The Smith Family Chief Executive Officer, Doug Taylor, said the results reinforced the serious inequities that exists in education which are a tragedy for every child experiencing the impacts.

“Students experiencing disadvantage face a myriad of difficult challenges that their peers simply don’t have to navigate.

“Not all students enrolled in public schools have the financial means to access school essentials such as school uniform or a home computer.

“When you don’t have the things you need to make the most of your learning, it is much harder to keep up at school. It can lead to students falling behind with their learning and becoming disengaged with school.

“These latest NAPLAN results are a clear indication that there is much more that needs to be put in place to support students, starting with foundational supports from an early age to catch struggling students early, as well as adequate school-based funding allowing extra supports tailored to their needs.

“These results have also reinforced the urgent need for strong evidence-based practices and programs for students experiencing disadvantage – so that we can have confidence in their making a difference.

“One example of this is our education dashboard which we have implemented with the Departments for Education in South Australia and Tasmania. The dashboards allow The Smith Family’s frontline team access to data in real time on how students supported by us are performing in school.

“It means we can respond quickly to any educational challenges they’re facing. This is key. Identifying which students are struggling at an early age, allows us to provide catch up support, early in their education journey, to help get them back on track.

“Education is one of the most powerful change agents – it can shape careers, ability to earn good livings, have good health, and ensure well-being.

“Today’s NAPLAN results are yet again a wake-up call for our nation. It’s time for all of us to recognise that our education system needs an overhaul.

“Reform to help tackle educational inequity matters to us all. It is an investment in our nation’s future, its economic prosperity, and our place on the global stage, shaping individual and community well-being for generations to come.

“The recently released Federal Government’s Better and Fairer Schools Agreement is a chance to ensure educational equity for our young people, regardless of background or circumstances. We urge our education leaders to do all they can to find common ground on funding, so reform can begin in time for the 2025 school year.”

The Smith Family’s flagship Learning for Life program provides financial, extra learning and personal support to almost 66,000 students experiencing disadvantage, nationally.

For more information on how to sponsor a child through Learning for Life or donate, visit thesmithfamily.com.au

Media contacts:

Andrew Dickson | National Media Manager (National) - 0421 285 529 | andrew.dickson@thesmithfamily.com.au
Carla Horton | Senior Media Advisor (QLD & WA) - 0423 618 776 | carla.horton@thesmithfamily.com.au
Reid Jermyn | Media Advisor (VIC, SA & NT) - 0412 803 566 | reid.jermyn@thesmithfamily.com.au
Ben Chenoweth | Senior Media Advisor (NSW, ACT & TAS) - 0413 346 934 | ben.chenoweth@thesmithfamily.com.au

The Smith Family is a national children’s education charity that helps young Australians experiencing disadvantage to create better futures for themselves through harnessing the power of education. We partner with around 800 Australian schools and work with over 162,000 children and young people experiencing disadvantage access our education support programs to help them overcome . For more information, visit thesmithfamily.com.au