Naplan results 2026: reading and writing worsens in Australian schools as one in three students fail to meet benchmarks

From the publisher

Reading and writing scores are going backwards for almost every age group in Australia’s national standardised school tests, with one in three students still failing to meet Naplan benchmarks. This year’s tests were taken in March by 1.2 million students across years 3, 5, 7 and 9 to measure literacy and numeracy proficiency, with results released on Wednesday by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (Acara). Participation was down compared with last year due to industrial action in Tasmania and flooding in the Northern Territory, which has led Acara to not report Tasmanian state-level results as it lagged “far below” the body’s data standards for accurate reporting. Sign up…

The source's own excerpt, unedited