Reading and writing scores have declined for almost all age groups in Australia's national standardised school tests, known as Naplan. Results released on Wednesday by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (Acara) show that one in three students did not meet benchmarks across reading, numeracy, and writing.
Average reading scores for students in years 5, 7, and 9 decreased compared to 2025, with more students requiring additional support in both reading and writing. Year 3 students' average reading scores remained stable.
In contrast, national numeracy levels showed some improvement for students in years 5, 7, and 9 since the tests were reset in 2023. However, the average national numeracy score for year 3 students was the lowest it has been since 2023.
Australia's education minister, Jason Clare, acknowledged the "real challenges" in reading but noted the positive trend in numeracy for years 5 and high school. He highlighted an ongoing numeracy review for primary school levels and the federal government's plan to implement year 1 phonics and numeracy checks.