Wednesday, 4 March 2026

Tasmanian educators have today imposed a total and indefinite ban on NAPLAN testing in public schools, dramatically escalating industrial action and turning up the heat on Premier Jeremy Rockliff.

Union members will not:

• Administer the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) for Years 3, 5, 7 and 9
• Support or facilitate NAPLAN testing in any capacity
• Conduct or facilitate practice NAPLAN tests for 2026 or 2027

NAPLAN is intended to be a one-off snapshot of school performance; it is not supposed to involve extensive preparation, practice testing and additional administrative burden.

Banning NAPLAN does not impact student learning but lands a devastating blow to Premier Rockliff and the Education Minister. 

By taking this step, educators are sending the strongest possible message to the Premier: he must fix the workload crisis in public schools now.