The future of literacy and numeracy testing across Canberra schools could be in doubt if ACT teachers follow their NSW counterparts in boycotting national testing because results could be used in league tables.
The NSW Teachers Federation has voted to ban the testing regime if results were made public under new Commonwealth reporting guidelines.
NSW teachers have also threatened to walk off the job next year if school performance tables are published using national assessment data.
The threat of industrial action has been brought about by NSW Government attempts last month to alter laws that have prevented the publication of school league tables since 1997.
The Government said the changes were necessary to provide data to the Commonwealth under the National Education Agreement.
The threat also comes as a new website The Australian Schools Index has emerged promising to provide ''a cumulative ranking'' for every Australian school.
The site is operated by an internet media company that specialises in phone cards and flowers and has its software development centre based in India.
Full report in today's Canberra Times
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