The National Assessment Program for Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is rolling out in schools this week – an annual exam for all students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9.
Some students are set to become the most tested generation yet with pressure to meet new benchmarks in reading, writing and maths.
However, Australia’s most famous maths teacher, Eddie Woo, says it’s not a time to get anxious.
Eddie Woo is a maths teacher by day and internet hit by night (post continues below):
“This is not something anyone needs to be stressed about,” says Woo.
“No one is going to get a job because they have amazing NAPLAN results and no one is going to be held back from a job because they got less than stellar NAPLAN results,” he added.
“A lot of people stress about it because it’s an exam and you’re being put under time pressure and not being able to choose the way that you want to express your understanding – that’s stressful for anyone.”
The internet-smash maths teacher says his own daughter, who is taking her first NAPLAN this week, has also been convinced of the negative attitudes toward exams.