The 2012 NAPLAN Tests are upon us. Early next week students throughout the nation will undertake basic national tests in the following areas:
• Tue 15th May (Language Conventions)
• Wed 16th May (Reading Conventions)
• Thurs 17th May (Numeracy)
Whilst the schools will be the beneficiaries, few if any will acknowledge the important role of private tutors and coaching colleges in supporting children and their families to prepare for the tests and raise national standards in literacy and numeracy.
ATA CEO, Mr Mohan Dhall said, “All schools benefit from the excellent work done by tutors to prepare their students for external tests”. Schools throughout Australia owe their reputation to their fine teaching and their fine students. “However, an element of the success of schools on external tests also comes from the work of private tutors and coaching specialists”, he said. “It is time for schools to acknowledge the important input private tutors and coaching colleges make to students.”
There are many benefits of preparation with tutors for NAPLAN tests including:
• Reducing the stress associated with exams through helping students familiarise themselves with the range and type of questions they will face
• Helping students to increase their problem-solving skills through implementing various strategies
• Assisting students to acquire an ability to think quickly in timed tasks
• Improving confidence in mainstream classes through exposure students to concepts prior to coming across them in school
“Other benefits are that even those students who do not achieve national benchmarks can also benefit”, Mohan Dhall said. “The skills acquired through preparation for such tests stay with children for life. Moreover, early identification of those struggling on such tests is necessary to make informed choices about school funding and raise the question as to how supplementary private tuition can assist. Thus parents can help struggling children who need additional support either in the school or externally and in making decisions about going to an approved ATA supplementary education provider”.