I find very little merit in this article or its central argument.
The author adroitly glosses over the quite extraordinary level of post ed illiteracy, that NAPLAN and a national curriculum is intended to address!
If students experience stress, it is arguably because of the fear generated by less than competent teachers, or those seeking to impose their own untried untested intellectual concept onto teaching.
[To make it more interesting? For whom?]
Simply put, there ought to be more exams, to the point, where they become normal and routine, rather than something to fear.
In this way they will become simply a useful and timely tool, to enable teachers to actually know, who is falling behind and requires additional assistance; or a seat closer to the front, where damaged ears can actually hear; or less than perfect eyes can actually see!
Or indeed, where a nutritionally challenged or bored student, who routinely wanders or daydreams, can be more readily noticed and drawn back to the lesson or subject matter.
If NAPLAN exposes less than adequate teachers, who see their roll just as information providers, or whose own literacy skills are way under par?
[The peter principle also informs us, that great grade A student, who routinely excel, don't always make great teachers, have no patience or communication skills, but may better serve teaching perhaps, as more than competent administrators?]
Exposing them via NAPLAN, and removing them from the classroom, will not harm the students or their sometimes substandard grades.
Rhrosty.

Scott, speaking as an ex-teacher, let me say all of life is a test especially in a capitalist society where Oligarchs and Plutocrats and corrupt politicians rule. Kids had better get used to it!

Being tested is commonplace, school, workplace, everywhere. No one can avoid it. And if the testing reveals hopeless teachers, of which there are many, then this is a good thing. They should be removed from the education system before they do anymore damage to students.

Your article seems to be directed at enabling poor teachers to continue to get taxpayer's money and enjoy all the perks that teachers enjoy!

Footnote: How to pass any exam easily!
[Human DNA is capable of storing vastly more information than any computer, even one that occupies an entire twelve story building!]
So, program it for success!
Repeat several times daily, I have a great memory and pass all exams easily.
When you come to exams, first, read and answer those questions you understand immediately and come back to those you don't.
Somewhere in the mind is memory of absolutely everything we've ever heard, seen or done!
And, the above personal programming enables you to access any and or all of it, upon demand!
Think, everyone who has a poor memory, is constantly saying, I have a very poor memory; or struggle to recall events or information!
I'm not very bright!
They are, without realising it, programming themselves to fail!
Sometimes, poor parents or teachers unintentionally do it to us; and we go on and confirm their instruction, by accepting/endlessly repeating them to ourselves; or in other words, owning the outcome!
The trick is to know this and say to ourselves, relax, my billions of brain circuits are working on it, the answers will come to me in a moment or two, I'll come back to it!
Second, is to return to those questions you passed on, the first time round.
Again, don't spend time struggling to answer a question you don't yet understand, but repeat the, I know that I know this material mantra, [personal programming guide,] and only answer those questions, where the answers pop up into the mind, without struggle or difficulty.
Thirdly, repeat the above steps, with those questions you haven't yet answered.
Keep doing this until you answer all the questions or run out of time.
More often than not, we find, particularly with time and practise, that we pass the test easily, and well within the imposed time limits!
Exams are nothing to fear and just a useful tool to enable those responsible for your education/personal programming, to know where you require some additional assistance or personal tutoring/reprogramming!
It really is just that simple!
Rhrosty.

DG,

I would have thought that you would examine the propensity for Western society to inflict robotic-type measuring techniques on its children.

What a useless way to "educate" children.

Firstly they marinate them in a system that disconnects them from the fundamental connections with life - and then it confuses them while standardising them in an artificial maelstrom of "knowledge"...and then it stresses them out with a "mega-test" every couple of years.

My boy learns every day, following the "connections" he makes - as in "one thing leas to another" in a way that makes sense and one which enriches him because he has sought the knowledge (not the other way round).

But then, he doesn't have to endure NAPLAN every two years - because he isn't educated within an institution.

Poirot, your boy is lucky to avoid 'the system'!

Other kids, less fortunate, must be tested now and again to see what their basic skills in maths and English are, the essential tools which, among other things, enable people to think.

Now I have written many times about the horrors of rote teaching and rote learning which I was subjected to when attending primary and secondary school. I wanted teachers who allowed, even encouraged me, to think. What I got was the 'LEARN THESE FACTS, BOYS -REGURGITATE THEM WHEN REQUIRED' methodology which is still the basis of most so-called 'education'. It's a 'teach a parrot to talk' mindset.

Such mindlessness is demanded by The Rich Masters Of The Universe, who don't want thinkers but automatons. Thinkers are dangerous. They question things and this is unwanted. It could lead to barricades and social upheaval, perish the thought!

Of course, our Universities, once places of vigorous debate and heated exchange and furor, are now merely more expensive TAFE institutions that prepare students to get a job for life.

If only Plato, Socrates, et al, were still around to lead the world.

Instead we have the likes of Rupert Murdoch and Julia! Oh, brave new world!

Yeah, DG, it makes so much sense to me to learn in a way that where continuity is foremost as apart from the disconnected process whereby children have knowledge poured into them willy-nilly.

Example:

The other day, we made cucumber relish for "schoolwork".

The reason we made the relish was that we had planted some cucumber seeds. We tended them and they grew well. We gave a lot away, but we still had heaps left over - so I encouraged my son to find a recipe. We then went and bought/picked the other ingredients. He then measured things out and combined them and we cooked it up.

On the way I was able to explain to him why people preserve food - and there was a fair bit of history involved there - seasons, lack of refrigeration, co-operatives, etc.

So you can see there were a whole lot of subjects covered in the that exercise from the time we planted the seeds to the time we bottled the preserve....and no mega-test - or even a red pen involved : )