Queensland gets gold star for NAPLAN participation amid cyclone chaos
Although Queensland students had the lowest level of any state, Naplan received a golden star from a national education authority for the biggest development in the participation rates.
During the 2025 test period, Cyclone Alfred was forced to tear a path and force the affected Southeastern schools to test up to four days, and in 3, 5, 7 and 9 years, approximately 260,000 students sat standard tests.
Stephen Gniel, Chairman of the Australian Curriculum, Evaluation and Reporting Authority, said that the increase in Queensland’s participation rates was “evidence of the efforts of the education community”.
While a cyclone fell into the southeast of the state, a record number of students sat down.
“When you think [the cyclone]Queensland has been an impressive achievement for 89.7 percent since 2019 to reach the highest participation rate at all year levels. ”
Gniel said that national participation rates have largely reached pre-pre-level levels and that 93.8 percent of students have at least one test attempt.
Despite a total increase of 2.4 percent of the average participation rates from 2024 to 2025, Queensland remained the only state with a general participation rate of less than 90 percent.
The number of 9th grade students in Queensland was even lower, about two out of every 10 students jumped Naplan, but in 2022 there was an increase in the lowest level of the state.
The northern region noted the lowest participation rate of all Australian states and regions, but it had the highest rate of students in regional, remote or far away places.
