Dr Chris Duncan, CEO of the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA), has urged parents to look beyond NAPLAN scores when evaluating and choosing schools for their children.
“The My School website offers a wealth of interesting and helpful data about schools and the academic performance of their students in NAPLAN tests,” said Dr Duncan. “But NAPLAN scores do not add up to create the whole story of a school community.”
Dr Duncan advises parents who are searching for school data on My School to read the school community description at the top of the school profile section on My School’s individual school web pages and follow the links to schools’ websites.
“The My School website is a good place for parents to start when gathering information about where they will educate their child,” said Dr Duncan. “But it gives only a very limited snapshot of school life. School websites offer information about how schools organise themselves, their curriculum specialities and co-curricular opportunities, and how they support the wellbeing of students. This is vital information if parents want to ensure a good fit between their child and the school they attend.”
Dr Duncan also recommends that wherever possible parents attend school open days, and take the opportunity to talk with the school’s principal, teachers and students.
“The latest national figures on student enrolments in Australian schools, released last week by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, show that enrolments in independent schools increased by over 25 per cent over the last decade,” said Dr Duncan. “That’s a great testimony of the confidence Australian parents place in the sector. But not all schools suit all children, and the time parents spend gathering information from websites, school visits and from friends and family can prove to be a sound investment in the success of their child’s schooling.”
