Reading and writing worsens in Australian schools as one in three students fail to meet Naplan benchmarks

Australia’s 2026 NAPLAN results show broad weakness in literacy, with reading and writing deteriorating for most year groups and one in three students still failing to meet benchmarks. About 1.2 million students sat the tests, but participation fell because of Tasmania industrial action and Northern Territory flooding, which also prevented reliable state-level reporting for Tasmania. Numeracy was the bright spot: national results improved after the 2023 reset, especially in years 5, 7 and 9, with 29,000 more students ‘exceeding’. The data strengthens the case for explicit teaching, phonics, tutoring, and curriculum changes, particularly in early-year maths and reading. The results highlight persistent performance gaps by geography and background, with very remote and disadvantaged students lagging well behind major-city peers.