State, territory and federal Education Ministers have today unanimously decided that NAPLAN will not proceed in 2020 due to the ongoing impacts of COVID-19.
The NAPLAN test window was scheduled to be held from 12 to 22 May.
The wellbeing and safety of our staff, our students and all Territorians is our highest priority at this time and the decision to not proceed with NAPLAN 2020 has been made to help school leaders, teachers and support staff concentrate on the delivery of continued learning for students and preparedness for emergency planning.
The decision not to proceed with NAPLAN in 2020 also means that the scheduled testing of the NAPLAN Online platform on Monday 23 March, known as the Coordinated Practice Test (CPT), will not proceed next week.
Education Ministers reiterated that the National Cabinet has agreed, on the advice of the chief health and medical officers, that "pre-emptive closure of schools are not proportionate or effective as a public health intervention to prevent community transmission of COVID-19 at this time."
These are challenging times and I would like to thank and acknowledge all our Territory school leaders, our teachers and our support staff for their fantastic efforts.
The Department of Education will continue to work closely with health authorities and schools to ensure appropriate support for students and staff as the response to COVID-19 develops.
This is not a time to panic, it's a time to be prepared. The Territory Labor Government is prepared and we are helping schools to prepare so we can work together to protect Territorians.
