NAPLAN and Diffendoofer Day

The current debate surrounding NAPLAN and the possible creation of league tables for Australian schools shows no signs of diminishing. Teachers, parents, government agencies, school administrators and union representatives are each offering different perspectives on this issue and each argument is seemingly well reasoned leading to much confusion surrounding the “right” perspective. At the heart of this and indeed all education debates is the central question of what we really value. Andy Hargreaves, a world leader in education, wonderfully summed up the current debates regarding standardised testing and ratings according to test scores by stating that when we don’t “measure what we value, we end up valuing what we measure”.

A well balanced “Education Revolution” should value excellence in all of life’s dimensions – academically, physically, spiritually and socially; and should seek to provide classroom environments where learning in all its fullness can be celebrated and encouraged. In highlighting this emphasis, I am reminded of the excellent Dr Seus book “Hooray for Diffendoofer Day”. As the father of four children, Dr Seus was a regular favourite at bedtime, and this particular book, whilst not as well known as Green Eggs and Ham, or Cat and the Hat, contains some of the most revealing and accurate comments on schools and education that have ever been written. The book, in typical Dr Seuss style, humorously tells the story of Diffendoofer School, and the wonderful teachers there (including the highly creative Miss Bonkers) who make learning “come alive” within their students. Such a celebration of learning is treated with cautious suspicion by the serious and sober looking principal, Mr Lowe, who feared that students may not be learning “much at all”. The nervous Mr Lowe then announces to the school:

“All schools for miles and miles around must take a special test

To see who’s learning such and such – to see which school’s the best”

If our small school does not do well, then it will be torn down;

And you will have to go to school in dreary Flobbertown”.

Flobbertown was a very dark and scary looking school where everyone does “everything the same” without any life, joy and creativity. Miss Bonkers tells the students to not worry about the test because “you’ve learned the things you need to pass any test... and something else that matters more – we’ve taught you how to think” The story ends with Diffendoofer students achieving “1000000” percent and the entire school celebrating their outstanding achievements.

Surely our goal as educators should be to cultivate an environment where students learn how to think and where the joy of learning is celebrated in all its many dimensions. This is what all great teachers and educational leaders aspire to and what they desire for every student in their schools. This is therefore what we really value and what determines our measure of excellence in all that we do. I’m certain Dr Seus would heartily agree that to do anything less is to put an end to the dynamic art of teaching and turn it into a paint by the numbers profession.