Phil makes a lot of sense.
God help public education if Pyne becomes minister for education.
Although Garrett and the labour party are nearly as ignorant.
The greens have the best education policy.
Cambo

There is an old truism: "you can only control what you measure"

While the Naplan tests are not perfect, one test every 2 years to measure children's progress lets the teachers and parents know how their children are progressing and at least allows intervention before too it is too late. If Naplan is to be abolished, then other regular standardized testing is required.

By the time little Johnny or Jane, enters year 7, if gaps have not been filled, there is a real danger that s/he will fall further and further behind and lose out on many of life's opportunities.

My personal opinion is that the opposition to Naplan is more about protecting incompetent teachers than the children.

Well expressed! It is common sense.

We need more clear-thinking, experienced educators like Phil Cullen running our education system.
Comments on here about standardised testing show incredible lack of knowledge. Finland, the most successful school system on this planet, does NOT use standardised testing. If you believe in standardised testing, you need to read the papers available at http://www.literacyeducators.com.au/information.htm

The clamour to implement the Gonski report is fascinating. Do those shouting for this to be done realise that the Gonski report recommends the continuation of the Howard government’s flawed SES funding system? Is there not an irony in the fact that the loudest pro-Gonski voices were also the loudest anti-SES voices? Do they even know that they have instantly switched sides?

Those who want to look behind the sloganeering can go to http://community.tes.co.uk/forums/t/576719.aspx for a discussion of the changes needed to make the Gonski report work.

There is no reason why NSW must be home to the largest educational institution in the free world, a.k.a. the Department of Education & Training. The sooner it is broken up into manageable chunks, the better for all concerned.

If the GONSKI dollars which the author seeks cannot be found via the elimination of NAPLAN testing, then there is another pot of gold waiting to be tapped.

Taking NSW as the example, there are huge numbers of refugees from the classroom, failed teachers, paper-shufflers, administrators, accountants, PR folk, HR and Employee Relations workers, Staff Welfare Officers, curriculum developers, professional committee attendees, internal consultants, tea-swillers, biscuit munchers and time servers. They are gathered in well defended secure silos around Sydney and the state's larger regional hubs.

Break it up! Chop the waste out!

The state's electricity generation industry two decades ago reduced from 12000 employees. The resulting four state owned businesses, run on corporate lines, deliver the same outcomes with about a third of the staff. This has been achieved invisibly.

Nobody will mourn the passing of the unnecessary thousands who will be seen to be primarily wasteful papershuffling "experts".

These principles, applied to the NSW Department of Education & Training via 8 or 10 autonomous regional departments will achieve a saving of thousands of staff and billions of dollars.

The greatest yet intangible advantage will be to bring the decision maker out of the tower buildings and into regular communication with those who make the business work.

What we have now is a failed and wasteful business model.