The NSW Government has announced it will request the Commonwealth, and other State and Territory Governments consider reverting to handwritten writing tests for students in Years 5, 7, and 9, after recent NAPLAN results showed a national decline in writing.
The Government’s push for NAPLAN writing tests to return to pen and paper from 2028 will be on the agenda when national Education Ministers meet today.
Currently, Year 3 students complete their writing test on paper, while older students sit the test on a computer.
The Government is leading a renewed national focus on handwriting, claiming the prolonged use of technology in schools is having a negative impact on student learning.
“The Minns Labor Government is committed to ensuring New South Wales students build strong foundational writing skills that will set them up for long-term success,” said Deputy Premier and Minister for Education and Early Learning, Prue Car.
“The evidence from our classrooms points clearly to the ongoing value of handwriting and its importance for student development and engaging a different way of learning.
“We’re listening to teachers and families who want a sensible, balanced approach to technology use in schools.”
The Government has introduced limits on the amount of time students spend on screens in NSW public schools.
New guidelines recommend a minimum of one hour a day of learning using pen and paper, reflecting strong evidence of the benefits of writing by hand and reading from paper.
The Government’s own research fund assessing the impact of screen use on learning found that only around one-third of parents of primary-school aged children indicated that the benefits of using technology outweigh the disadvantages.
