As the Daily Mail reports, the letter was written by a group of primary school teachers in Australia and sent home with their students prior to their taking the NAPLAN (a nationwide assessment test). It reads:
To Our Dearest Students from Year 3,
Next week you will sit your first NAPLAN test. Before you take this test there is something very important for you to know:
This test does not assess all of what makes each of you exceptional and unique.
The people that score these tests don’t know that some of you love to sing, are good at drawing or can teach others how to use a computer program. They have not seen the way that some of you can dance with grace or speak confidently to a large group. They do not know that your friends count on you to be there for them when they are sad. They do not know that you participate in sports, help your mum and dad or that play with your little brother, sister or cousins. They do not know that you are caring, thoughtful and that every day you do your best. Because these attributes cannot be tested.
The scores you get from this test will tell you how you did on that day, but they will not tell you everything. They can’t tell you that you have improved on something that you once found difficult. They can’t tell you that you brighten up your teacher’s day. They can’t tell you how amazingly special you are.
So come to school ready to do your best for the NAPLAN test and remember there is no one way to ‘test’ all of the wonderful things that make you, YOU!
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