Queensland students failing at basic literacy and numeracy

QUEENSLAND kids are failing to meet basic literacy and numeracy targets, with new data showing the alarming levels state school students are falling behind.

This week’s state government budget papers have revealed in every instance, Queensland state school students in years 3, 5, 7 and 9 missed the department’s targets on the percentage of students meeting the national minimum standard in reading, writing and numeracy.

The 2021-2022 statistics showed older students were falling behind the furthest, with less than 90 per cent of year 7 students meeting the minimum standard for numeracy, well below the 96 per cent target. Just 82.9 per cent of year 9 students met the standard for reading, compared with a target of 90 per cent.

Writing also proved to be an area of concern with just 72 per cent of year 9 students achieving the minimum standard – compared with a target of 86 per cent – and 83.4 per cent of year 7 students, against a target of 92 per cent.

Indigenous student levels were also below the department’s targets of students hitting the national minimum standards in key numeracy and literacy areas.

Less than half of all year 9 Indigenous students met the national minimum standard for writing, well short of the target of 69 per cent. Just two thirds of year 9 Indigenous students met the national minimum standard for reading, against a target of 78 per cent.

LNP education spokesman Christian Rowan said the results were “extremely concerning”. “More worrying still, there is no comprehensive plan from the state government to address this steady decline,” Dr Rowan said.

“Targets for our First Nations pupils are continually not being met, with substantially lower outcomes being achieved when compared to all students across the state. “Queensland’s students, parents, teachers and school staff deserve a worldclass education system that exceeds targets.”

The state government paper’s pointed to the “broad improvement trajectory” Queensland had shown in the past decade of NAPLAN testing, and described the targets as “aspirational goals”.

The state government also missed its employment and training targets with thousands of students failing to complete apprenticeships or traineeships.