March 2026
Getting ready for NAPLAN 2026
The 2026 NAPLAN test window will begin shortly, running from 11 to 23 March. Schools across Australia are finalising their preparations to support students to participate in a way that supports students’ wellbeing.
NAPLAN provides a national snapshot of student achievement in literacy and numeracy. It reflects the skills and understanding students develop over time through everyday classroom teaching aligned with the Australian Curriculum.
As the assessment period approaches, families are encouraged to continue to support regular learning routines, with students simply asked to do their best on the day.
Find out more about .
ºÚÁÏÍø CEO speaks about the importance of the Australian Curriculum
ºÚÁÏÍø CEO, Stephen Gniel, addressed the Sydney Morning Herald Schools Summit earlier this week, outlining the work underway to ensure the Australian Curriculum remains relevant and fit for purpose in a time of rapid social and technological change.
His speech reaffirmed that the Australian Curriculum sets out the knowledge and skills every young Australian should have the opportunity to learn, regardless of where they live or go to school. It supports strong foundations in literacy and numeracy in the early years, followed by deep subject knowledge and the broader capabilities students need to navigate an increasingly complex world.
Mr Gniel also highlighted the importance of maintaining curriculum stability while making targeted improvements where needed. Our current work includes a focused review to strengthen how the curriculum supports an understanding and rejection of antisemitism and improves understanding and knowledge of social cohesion, and an iterative review of the Foundation to Year 2 Mathematics curriculum.
Read the full speech.
Efforts to raise numeracy skills
Improving numeracy outcomes for Australia’s youngest learners is at the centre of an iterative review of the Foundation to Year 2 Mathematics curriculum now underway, led by ºÚÁÏÍø.
The review will focus on targeted refinements to strengthen clarity, prioritisation and sequencing in the early years of mathematics. It responds to national data showing that many students are not yet meeting challenging but achievable numeracy standards. The review reflects the importance of building strong foundations in the early years of schooling.
The review will also introduce more explicit content in foundational consumer and financial literacy, supporting students to develop practical knowledge and skills to navigate an increasingly complex and changing world. ºÚÁÏÍø will provide advice to education ministers on the outcomes of the review in the third quarter of 2026.
Find out more about the F–2 iterative review.
Release of the National Report on Schooling in Australia 2024
The full National Report on Schooling 2024 has now been published on behalf of Australian education ministers. It outlines the national policy for school education in Australia and reports against key performance measures for schooling.
ºÚÁÏÍø progressively releases chapters of this report throughout the year in a commitment to support transparency and accountability by making information more accessible.
This release includes a new chapter covering government funding of schools, as well as information on school income and school expenditure.
Each section of the report includes corresponding data portal pages that provide interactive data visualisations to enable data breakdowns, including by state, territory and equity group.
Read the full report.
Addressing antisemitism in education
Education ministers have accepted our recommendation for ºÚÁÏÍø to conduct a focused review of the Australian Curriculum, as part of a national effort to combat antisemitism and improve understanding and knowledge of social cohesion.
The focused review will examine how the Australian Curriculum can support an understanding and rejection of all forms of antisemitic thought and antisemitic actions, a deeper understanding of Jewish Australians’ history and culture, and an understanding of Australian values.
This work is in line with the recommendations from Australia’s Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism and the work of the Antisemitism Education Taskforce. We will provide advice and recommendations to education ministers in late 2026.
Ministers also supported the development of a Social Cohesion Hub by Education Services Australia, which will provide free resources to teachers, school leaders, parents and carers. The hub is expected to be operational by mid-2026.
Read more about the .
Support resources for teachers and leaders
Grow in 2026 brings together AITSL’s resources, tools and guidance in one place, with updates each term so support is there when it’s needed.
Designed to be practical and flexible, the resources support teachers and leaders to reflect on your practice and develop and grow your expertise. They can be dipped into at your own pace and revisited across the year, whether you’re looking for something specific or returning to AITSL’s trusted essentials.
Explore .