‘They don’t know you like we do': Australian Principal’s Inspiring Letter to His Students

A Western Australia primary school teacher, Len Christie, has written a letter to his students about a controversial schooling test.

The NAPLAN (National Assessment Program-Literacy and Numeracy) is sat by children in years 3, 5, 7 and 9, between the ages of eight to fifteen. The exam tests numeracy, writing, and language conventions such as grammar and spelling.

A copy of the letter is included below:

A Letter to all Students who sat NAPLAN this year

This week you would have received your NAPLAN test results. We are pleased that you tried your very best in these challenging tests and during the weeks and months leading up to them.

I’d like you, your family, friends and teachers to remember that these tests are unable to measure all of what it is that makes you the valued person who you are. The people who have created these tests and those that mark them don’t know you as well as your teachers know you, to the extent to which I know you and certainly not the way your family and friends know you.

They don’t know that many children at Beechboro Primary School speak one or more languages other than English. They also don’t know that you may be a great singer and dancer or that you can play a musical instrument really well. They also don’t know how well you can draw beautiful pictures.

They don’t know that you have a sense of humour which can bring a smile to your friend’s faces and make them laugh or that they can rely upon you to support them when they need a kind and encouraging word. They wouldn’t know that you can write poetry and stories, play all types of different sports and have interesting and enjoyable hobbies.

They also don’t know that you probably accept responsibility for taking care of your brothers or sisters from time to time. They don’t know that you have travelled to or come from fascinating places and had amazing experiences.

They don’t know how much you love spending time with your family and your close friends and they won’t know how much you are appreciated and loved by them.

You are trustworthy, kind and thoughtful and you try to do your best every day. Do they know that?

The NAPLAN test results give you some very specific information about yourself but it can’t say everything about who you are and what you have achieved.

I hope you are happy with your results and that they inspire you to do even better in literacy and numeracy. Just remember that there is so much more to describe who you are that can’t be shown in these scores.

Len Christie, Principal
9th September 2014

Mr Christie told Nine News the test did not test all the attributes needed in life.

‘I was inspired by reading something similar published by a school in the UK and I thought it was lovely to recognise the fact that you need so many more attributes than literacy and numeracy.’

‘While they’re fundamentals, they’re not the entire picture,’ he said.

‘In the hearts of family and friends (the students) are very special people. In the school setting, we also value all sorts of other things they do and achieve.

‘There’s so much more to them than just these aspects’.