Testing times for students

I really hope the information our governments and schools get from the literacy and numeracy tests is worth the anguish.
It is hard to argue against tests which according to the NAPLAN website "will provide information on how students are progressing against national benchmarks and support improvements in teaching and learning".
But just how good is the information and just how much angst do we cause in the process?
The problem with locking student as young as 7 in a room and setting them to work is that there are so many variables. A child with poor literacy skills may fail a numeracy test because he or she can't read the question. A child who can read well can still do poorly in literacy tests if his or her ability to write at speed is impaired.
And that's before you even start taking into account whether the student is anxious or has eaten a good breakfast or had a good night's sleep.
A good classroom teacher can identify and explain these variables. A national test blind marked can not.
Parents are reporting children are fretting, unable to sleep and unable to eat because of the stress - and these are kids who are aged from 7.
They can be reassured that nothing bad will happen to them if they do poorly. Unfortunately, however, the entry criteria of many private high schools is based at least in part on the results of Year 5 tests.
No wonder the kids are stressed. These are indeed testing times.