The Canberra Liberals have called for an independent, full review of literacy in ACT public schools, following several reports which they say show concerning trends with the actual outcomes for Canberra students.

Jeremy Hanson, Shadow Minister for Education, will move a motion in the Legislative Assembly today. He said there has now been multiple reports of students falling behind in this core skill.

“More concerning is the gap for disadvantaged students is increasing, meaning those who need the most support are actually falling further behind, rather than catching up,” Mr Hanson said.

“If students from socially disadvantaged areas are failing in literacy, then what you’ll see is continued disadvantage throughout their life, and it must be a priority to fix it.”

According to the latest NAPLAN results, one in three Year 9 students are not meeting proficiency benchmarks for reading; a quarter of students are falling behind in spelling; and around one in 10 students are unable to read or write at the basic level.

“According to the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), literacy has fallen over the last 20 years,” Mr Hanson said.

“The hard-working and dedicated ACT Government School teachers, support and administrative staff who are passionate about achieving the best outcomes for ACT students are being let down by the ACT education system.

“We are calling for a broad-ranging consultation as part of the inquiry, with the ACT education union, with teachers, with the universities, and with experts here and in other jurisdictions to find a way forward.

“There is no single answer and no magic solution, but it is time to have an honest, open review and act before it is too late for a generation of students.”