Tuesday Jun 06, 2023
Australia's school retention rate has fallen to its lowest level in 10 years, with one in five teenagers not completing high school in 2022.
Only 79 percent of students in years 10 to 12 completed high school, the lowest in a decade, according to a report by the Productivity Commission on Government Services released on June 6.
Non-public schools have a higher proportion of students who have completed high school education (87.2 percent) compared to public schools (73.5 percent).
Just under half of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students completed Year 12 in New South Wales (45 per cent). But in the Northern Territory the figure is 42 per cent, the lowest of any state, and 79.5 per cent in the Australian Capital Territory, the highest of any state.
Meanwhile, most students from years seven and eight remained in school, with only three per cent dropping out since 2013 in all jurisdictions except the Northern Territory.
Colin Axup, president of the Victorian Association of State Secondary Principals, said the "post-Covid hangover" was one potential factor behind high early school leaving rates.
Axup told Melbourne's 3AW radio on Tuesday that many students had a hard time with online study during the pandemic and "maybe they don't see the value in it anymore, which is disappointing.
The increase in the number of apprenticeships available also means that some students are less willing to complete their regular secondary education.
“It's important to get an education, whether it's finishing Year 12… or a VCE, or it's incredibly important to get a ribbon qualification. We have known for a long time that these qualifications mean longer and better job opportunities for people. So it is important to get this qualification.
He added that the school experience is valuable not only because of the academic education it offers, but also because of the structures and communities.
"I believe that the structure of the school and going to school and that process, if you will, of socializing the school environment is just as important as the academic side," he added.
Educational achievement among rich and poor children is widening
The education gap between children from rich and poor households was also widening, with only 74 per cent of students from the poorest families completing high school, the Australian Financial Review reported.
In May, Education Minister Jason Clare said 15 years ago the reading skills of eight-year-olds from poor families and eight-year-olds from wealthy families were about a year apart.
"There are two now. If you start behind or fall behind, it's hard to catch up. More and more every year the gap is widening in school," he told the NSW Teachers Federation gathering.
Earlier, the Education Minister noted: “Today, if you are a child from a poor family or from the bush, or if you are an Aboriginal child, then you are three times more likely to fall behind in school.
Deteriorating disciplinary climate
Australian schools are also struggling with declining student achievement, lower student engagement and worsening discipline problems.
An Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) report published in April revealed that the disciplinary climate in Australian schools was "among the least favorable in the OECD".
Meanwhile, the Program for International Student Assessment (Pisa) index of classroom disruption showed Australian classrooms below average, -0.2 compared to 0.04.
Higher school dropout rates and discipline problems come despite increasing government funding for the education sector.
According to the May budget, public school funding will total $10.8 billion in the next financial year, a 5.7 percent increase, while grants to private and Catholic schools will reach $17.4 billion, a 4.8 percent increase.
