Principal under fire Tape reveals parents asked whether struggling boy should do NAPLAN
20th May 2010
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/tape-reveals-principal-asked-parents-whether-struggling-boy-should-do-naplan/story-e6frf7jo-1225865746695
Author: John Masanauskas, education reporter
Publisher: News Ltd
Publication: Herald Sun, Page 15 (Thu 13 May 2010)
Keywords: Martin (1),Dixon (1)
Edition: 1 - FIRST
Section: NEWS
Principal under fire Tape reveals parents asked whether struggling boy should do NAPLAN
A PRINCIPAL has been recorded on tape questioning whether it is a good idea for a struggling student to sit the NAPLAN exam.
Leongatha Secondary College junior campus principal Leonnie McCluskey left a message for the boy's parents on Tuesday just half an hour before the first test was due.
``I know it's a really, really busy time for you getting the kids off to school and everything,'' she said.
``I'm just not sure whether we should get (name deleted) to sit them. He may not feel comfortable sitting them.''
The call comes as authorities pledged to investigate claims some schools are manipulating the tests to get better results.
State Education Minister Bronwyn Pike last night said any school caught manipulating the delivery of NAPLAN tests would be disciplined.
``The integrity of NAPLAN tests is crucial -- and I will ask my department to investigate any reports of inappropriate behaviour,'' she said.
The year 9 student's father, Michael, told the Herald Sun it was appalling the school had tried to exclude his son from NAPLAN at such short notice.
``I was in contact with Ms McCluskey on Friday about my son's progress and there was nothing mentioned about the NAPLAN test,'' he said.
``I believe the school's educated him and they haven't got him to the point where he should be, and they don't want him to sit these tests because the results will affect their overall rating or something.''
Michael and his wife didn't hear the message until later, and their son sat the test.
``When I rang back Ms McCluskey she said, `I hope you didn't take it the wrong way, it was just a matter of we didn't think (your son) was up to it and we didn't want to stress him out','' he said.
Ms McCluskey could not be contacted last night.
Dozens of parents contacted the Herald Sun yesterday with similar stories about schools pressuring them to withdraw their children from the numeracy and literacy tests.
Students can be exempted if they have severe intellectual disabilities or if they have been learning English for less than one year.
Test data is a major indicator of school performance on the MySchool website.
Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard said she was disturbed by reports underperforming students were being discouraged from sitting NAPLAN.
``I'm happy to get any of those claims investigated because that's obviously, if it has occurred, a clear breach of the arrangements we have for national testing,'' she said.
Ms Pike said her clear expectation was that ``every kid sits the test'' apart from exceptional circumstances.
``I'd like people to contact me personally if they have those complaints and I will investigate all of them,'' the minister said.
Liberal education spokesman Martin Dixon said NAPLAN data showed that Victoria had the lowest student participation rate of any state, with up to 10 per cent of students in some year levels either exempt, absent or withdrawn by parents during last year's tests.
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