They found no difference in average achievement between the three school sectors in primary school,except that year 5 students in public schools performed slightly better in numeracy than those in Catholic schools.
Year 7 and 9 students at independent schools were slightly ahead,but their “apparent advantage … disappeared after including SES[socio-educational status],” said the report,published in the journalThe Australian Educational Researcher on Tuesday.
“Results such as these highlight that school sector is not a strong predictor of basic skills achievement,and suggest that it is the social background and academic ability of children who attend private schools which support the appearance of better quality schooling.”
Dr Larsen said the researchers wanted to explore whether private schools improved student outcomes,given NAPLAN is billed as a way to evaluate the extent to which schools contribute to students’ literacy and numeracy skills.
A student’s background - particularly their parents’ education levels - is a strong predictor of their academic achievement. However,many parents do not take this into account when they look at the strong academic results from high-fee private schools.
The study’s findings can reassure parents that “it’s OK if you can’t afford private schooling”,Dr Larsen said.