Every year, students in years 3, 5, 7 and 9 take NAPLAN tests in reading, writing and numeracy (maths). Think of it as a national health check for Australian schools. The 2026 results came out on 4 August, and they show reading and writing scores slipping across nearly every year level. One in three students did not meet the standard expected for their age. One in ten need "additional support" — meaning they are struggling enough to need extra help.

1.2 million students sat the tests in March. Average reading scores went down in years 5, 7 and 9 compared with 2025. Year 3 reading held steady. The share of students rated "exceeding" or "strong" at reading fell to 66.3%, down from 68.2%. One in three students did not meet the benchmark across reading, numeracy and writing — the same as last year. (The Guardian)

Maths tells a more mixed story. Results improved for years 5, 7 and 9 since the tests were redesigned in 2023. 67% of students met the standard, and 29,000 more students were rated as "exceeding" it. But year 3 maths scores were the lowest since the 2023 redesign. Education minister Jason Clare pointed to that year 3 drop and said the government is "fixing the maths curriculum for the first three years of school." He was referring to a review of the maths curriculum for the youngest students — Foundation to Year 2 — that education ministers agreed to on 2 March 2026. (The Guardian; ACARA)

Two things make this year's results harder to compare with last year's. On the first day of testing, a technical glitch hit the writing tests for years 5, 7 and 9. ACARA's boss, Stephen Gniel, addressed it on 12 March 2026. Instead of adjusting the marks, ACARA added a note saying the writing results may be affected. Separately, Tasmania's results were left out entirely because too few students sat the tests — there was industrial action (that is, strikes or work stoppages by teachers) in the state. Flooding in the Northern Territory also disrupted participation. (The Guardian; ACARA)

There was some good news for Indigenous students. More Indigenous students in years 7 and 9 were rated "exceeding" compared with 2023, and average scores for Indigenous students in years 5 and 7 were the highest since the tests were redesigned. Clare gave a speech called "A Country of Contradictions" at Garma on 1 August. He called the numeracy results "heartening" and said the 2026 results showed "real challenges" as well as "how to fix them." He also noted that reading results improved in schools using explicit teaching — where teachers guide students step by step, including using phonics (sounding out words) — and small-group tutoring for kids who are struggling. (The Guardian; ministers.education.gov.au)

Behind these numbers is a big funding deal. The federal government is pouring an extra $20 billion into public schools over a decade, but the money comes with strings attached. States and territories have to introduce phonics and numeracy checks for year 1 students and back teaching methods that are proven to work, like explicit instruction. So these results are the first full set of NAPLAN scores since that deal started requiring states to make those changes.

The real question is whether the push for explicit teaching can turn the reading decline around. The writing test glitch and the missing Tasmania data make it harder to know for sure. The fact that one in three students is still behind, unchanged from last year, suggests that what's being done now is holding the line at best. It is not bending the curve. On maths, the older years are improving but year 3 is going backwards — which is exactly where Clare's review of the early-years curriculum is aimed. The logic is simple: if year 3 is where the slide starts, the help needs to begin earlier. Whether a curriculum change can fix things quickly enough to show up in next year's year 3 results is another question.

Individual student reports for 2026 are being sent to schools from the start of term 3. ACARA publishes the national results on its website. (ACARA)

The bottom line, in my view, is sobering. A third of Australian students are not meeting the standard in reading, writing and maths, and that has not changed in twelve months. Reading is going backwards. Maths is improving for older kids but getting worse for the youngest. Writing results come with a question mark. And Tasmania is missing from the national picture entirely. For a minister betting his education agenda on better teaching methods backed by $20 billion, this is a mixed report card at best — and possibly a sign that the problem runs deeper than curriculum tweaks alone can fix.