It's interesting that NAPLAN is based on the American model of standardised tesing. The No Child Left Behind program has been roundly criticised (not least by some of those that were instrumental in its implementation) as a system which, istead of identifying schools with challenges and assisting them, has closed them down and repudiated their teaching staff. This has led in the U.S. to a rise in "Charter Schools" which are apparently government funded but are obliged to fulfill a prerequisite charter.

What will standardised testing achieve in Australia in the long term, I wonder?

http://www.npr.org/2011/04/28/135142895/ravitch-standardized-testing-undermines-teaching

Squeers, yes let's. I have a few kegs we can smuggle into the Big House for our party.

Poirot, Gillard, devoid of any understanding of schools beyond her own charmed swoosh through school (because of her intellect, effort, support from home and no doubt a handful of good teachers)bought, hook line and sinker, what her officials at DEEWR, employed by Howard years before, were advising her to adopt, that is, the move to privatisation of education as another commodity with a safety net for the poor to be found in state funded and religiously inclined schools.

Rudd of course, was in his element too.

So, Gillard was interested not in improving education but eventually flogging it off, as is about to happen when Gronksi suggests vouchers, 'community schools' and just about everyhing else from his mates in the neoLiberal Party.

The Nats are too dumb to be able to read what he writes, so will do what they are told, as usual, by their big brother Tony.