Victoria shows it is the Education State with Victorian students again topping the nation in NAPLAN results.

Across the Goulburn Valley students at Gowrie Street Primary School, Tatura Primary School, Bourchier Street Primary School, Grahamvale Primary School and Cobram Secondary College saw some of the largest improvements in the state, with scores rising across reading and numeracy.

In 2026, a record number of Victorian students achieved their highest proficiency level.

Victorian students ranked first or second in 16 of 20 NAPLAN measures.

Victoria also has the lowest rate in the nation of students needing additional support.

There were steady improvements on previous years, across all year levels with Years 5, 7 and 9 Numeracy result significantly higher.

• In Year 9 Numeracy, 15.2 per cent of students are now 'exceeding' – improving on the 2025 results.
• In Year 9 Writing, more than a quarter reached the highest level – again improving on the 2025 results.

The results prove Labor’s education reforms are working.

The Victorian Reading Position is driving success, with all public primary schools now delivering 25 minutes of daily explicit systematic synthetic phonics in Prep to Year 2.

This literacy approach is transforming early reading outcomes for Victorian students.

Labor has always invested in giving Victorian students the best possible education. 

And now the Labor Government is backing these results with $44 billion to support learning, wellbeing, workforce, and school upgrades and new buildings.

This includes $26.4 million to support excellence in literacy through a new phonics check, and $10.4 million for a numeracy check, allowing teachers to identify Year 1 students who need early support in both mathematics and reading.

When the Liberals were last in Government, they cut more than $1 billion from education and Victoria went backwards in NAPLAN results.

Jess Wilson’s Liberal-National Coalition have already committed to $40 billion of cuts that would see schools funding slashed - and Victorian students would pay the price.

Quote attributable to Member for Northern Victoria Jaclyn Symes

“This result couldn’t have been achieved without the hard work of students, teachers and

parents at schools across the community, backed by Labor’s record investment

in Education.”