The 2021 preliminary NAPLAN results have been released, providing the first data from the national tests since 2019.
More than 1.2 million students across more than 9,000 schools participated in NAPLAN in May this year, following last year's cancellation due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Minister for Education and Youth Alan Tudge said the headline results were pleasing but further analysis of the detailed data was needed, as part of a broader look at the impacts of COVID-19 on Australian students.
"It is certainly a relief that we have not yet seen the significant declines that we may have expected due to school closures, particularly in Victoria," Minister Tudge said.
"The results also show a resilience among young Australians and they are testament to the hard work of teachers and parents who are supporting learning at home.
"I remain very concerned about the ongoing impact of school closures on young people and their families, particularly the mental health impacts.
"I am also concerned that some individual families have really struggled with schooling and may have disengaged altogether.
"We need to continue to focus on getting Australians vaccinated so we can get schools open and kids back into the classroom, back into sport and back with their friends and extended family."
"I also remain focussed on the longer term goal of returning Australia to the top group of educations nations, including by lifting standards in literacy and numeracy."
The preliminary 2021 NAPLAN results show no significant decline in results between 2019 and 2021 and, over the longer term, there has been steady improvement in Year 3 and 5 reading, and in Year 5, 7 and 9 numeracy.
Around 70 per cent of schools (more than 6,000) took NAPLAN online this year, with more than 2.9 million tests submitted by approximately 870,000 students through the online portal.
Preliminary results are available on the ACARA website.
Full results (including by demographic) will be available in December 2021. School level results will be published on the My School website in March 2022.
