The 2024 NAPLAN school test results show one in three Australian students are not on track with their learning. The results also reveal deep inequities in Australian schools. Indigenous children, children from disadvantaged families, and children from regional and remote areas are falling years behind their more advantaged peers as they move through school. In this special Grattan Podcast, our NAPLAN specialists Amy Haywood and Nick Parkinson identify why students are performing so poorly, and what governments should do to turn this around so all young Australians gain the literacy and numeracy skills they need to have their best chance in life.