Year Seven students the WALNA winners

1/12/05
Education and Training Minister Ljiljanna Ravlich says the impressive results by Year Seven students in this year's Western Australian Literacy and Numeracy Assessment Program (WALNA) is proof that education standards are not falling in our schools.
"In every one of the exams, reading, writing, spelling and numeracy, the number of Year Seven students passing the national benchmark this year increased," Ms Ravlich said.
"In the writing exam, almost 11 per cent more Year Seven students passed the benchmark this year than in 2004. That is a fantastic result and a credit to the hard work of the students and their teachers."
In Year Three, almost three per cent more students passed the spelling benchmark and one per cent more the numeracy benchmark.
"While most of the other results remained consistent, what was impressive was the improvement since testing began, in all the official results," the Minister said.
"Since 1998, the percentage of Year Three students to pass the reading benchmark has increased by 16 per cent. The number to pass the writing benchmark has risen by more than eight per cent.
"Since 1999, the percentage of Year Five students to pass the reading benchmark has grown by almost seven per cent and almost four per cent more students now pass the writing benchmark.
"All these great results fly in the face of anyone who says our education standards are falling.
"All the results have been achieved under the outcomes framework which was introduced seven years ago and they are proof that it is simply a better way to educate students.
"So when critics call for the new Year 11 and 12 outcomes and standards-based courses to be scrapped or delayed, they are also calling for a return to the time when fewer students were meeting the national benchmark.
"Such critics have a very poor understanding of the education system but these figures speak for themselves.
"To delay the introduction of the 50 new courses into Year 11 and 12 would deny all WA students a better education and one relevant to the 21st century."
The Gallop Government is committed to delivering a world-class education to all Western Australians.
Minister's office: 9213 6800

WALNA statistics:

Percentage of Year Three Students who met or exceeded the benchmark:
Reading 94.1%
Writing 86.3%
Spelling 84.3%*
Numeracy 89.9%
Percentage of Year Five Students who met or exceeded the benchmark
Reading 91 per cent
Writing 86.7 per cent
Spelling 82.0 per cent*
Numeracy 86.9 per cent
Percentage of Year Seven Students who met or exceeded the benchmark
Reading 86.9 per cent
Writing 87.3 per cent
Spelling 78.1 per cent*
Numeracy 83.2 per cent
*denotes provisionally agreed benchmark