Home > Our Publications > Australian Outlook> 2004 > December

Schools must publish results

QUEENSLAND parents will be able to compare schools on the basis of Year 12 results from 2006, but the Government insists it will not create league tables, or name and shame schools.

Queensland's Education Minister Anna Bligh says all schools will be required to publish performance information on their websites.

The publication of final year results will be mandatory for State as well as non-government schools.

Queensland's reforms are based on the Victorian system, bringing them into line with the most comprehensive school reporting systems in Australia. Most other states publish either limited Year 12 statistics, such as New South Wales's distinguished achievers list.

The minimum information required to be published includes the total of senior certificates awarded, the number of students completing vocational education and training units, and the percentage of students eligible for an overall position score of 1-15.

In particular, the range of the OP score has widened from 1-10 to 1-15, and the median OP score and performance in individual subjects is not in the list of minimum requirements.

This will make it more difficult to distinguish between schools on the basis of academic performance.

In explaining the changes, Mrs Bligh says: "You have to look at the purpose of providing the information. The purpose is to indicate whether schools are doing a reasonable job of preparing students for university, apprenticeships, employment, or whatever path they choose."

Queensland Teachers Union president Julie-Ann McCullough says "there are aspects of the strategy we don't like, but if it has to happen we don't mind that it's a broad range of information.

Queensland has resisted calls for school performance reporting and Premier Peter Beattie says the changes "represent a new era in school reporting accountability".

Mrs Bligh says parents have become increasingly discerning consumers: "Parents are more willing to ask questions, and they expect answers."