“Not everything that can be counted counts; and not everything that counts can be counted.” Albert Einstein

 

A plan to introduce the website My School in 2010 has prompted Charles Sturt University (CSU) education academic Professor Bob Perry to reflect on the words of Albert Einstein.

 

“My major problem with the proposed website is that it assumes that the only important issues to be considered are those that can be measured statistically,” said Professor Perry from the Murray School of Education at CSU at Albury-Wodonga.

 

Unveiled by the Deputy Prime Minister the Hon. Julia Gillard, MP, on Tuesday 10 November, the My School website is due to be operational in early 2010 to profile 10 000 Australian schools.

“The strength of relationships between teachers and students, schools and community can be the most telling attributes for many people. Where is there scope for this to be celebrated?” Professor Perry asked.

 

“I have no problem in schools being accountable for their performance but my issue with the proposed website is that only some aspects of the schools’ performance will be available to the public.

 

“For example, where is the scope for schools to tell the public about the wonderful things they are doing in the arts, in vocational education, in Indigenous education and so on? Where is the space to talk about the strengths of the school and its achievements across the board? Is there any room for ‘value-adding’ by the school?”

 

Professor Perry has also highlighted what he regards as risks in the use of data from the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN).

 

“NAPLAN results are impacted by socio-economic status of the communities in which the schools are situated.

 

“While there is an attempt on the website to offer comparisons with like schools, this will not stop other comparisons and possible ‘league tables’.”