3. Student participation, achievement and satisfaction

Appendix 3

 

In the following tables, ‘Primary’ includes Kindergarten to Year 6 students and ‘Secondary’ includes Year 7 to 12 students (unless specified otherwise).

 

Figure A2: Participation rate (%) of persons aged 15 to 17 years engaged in some form of education by gender 2019 to 2023(a)(b)(c)

A bar chart showing participation data. The chart shows that in 2019, 89.6% of 15 to 17 year olds were enrolled in either public or non-government schools, just over half a percent in universities and 6.8% in VET. The percentage enrolled in schools has decreased to 85.0% in 2023 with less than half a per cent in universities and 7.9% enrolled in VET. Overall, the percentage of people aged 15 to 17 years who were engaged in some form of education steadily decreased from 96.9% in 2019 to 93.2% in 2023. For all years presented, a slightly higher proportion of females enrolled in private schools and universities and a slightly higher proportion of males enrolled in VET.

(a) Based on Australian Bureau of Statistics estimates of resident population (age at 30 June) and data collected from public and non‑government schools (Semester 2 student census, age at 1 July), universities (age at 30 June), and vocational education and training providers (age at 30 June).
(b) University enrolment data for 2023 is an estimate based on 2022 university enrolment data and an annual compound growth factor calculated from university enrolment data across the previous 4 years.
(c) Revised figures for 2022 due to updated data for 2022 university enrolments and estimate of resident population.
Source: System and School Performance, using data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Department of Training and Workforce Development and the Australian Government Department of Education 

 

 

Table A17: Public school student attendance rate (%) by level of education and subgroup 2023(a)(b)

Level of education Aboriginal All
All 68.4 86.4
Primary(c) 74.3 88.9
Secondary 59.2 82.5

(a) Excludes Kindergarten students, Canning College students and international students.
(b) As per National Standards for Student Attendance Data Reporting.
(c) Pre‑primary to Year 6.
Source: System and School Performance

 

 

Table A18: Percentage of public school students by attendance category by subgroup 2023(a)(b)(c)

      Attendance category     Aboriginal     All  
Regular attendance (90–100%) 24.5 55.8
Indicated attendance risk (80–<90%) 21.8 25.5
Moderate attendance risk (60–<80%) 22.9 12.1
Severe attendance risk (<60%) 30.8 6.6

(a) Excludes Kindergarten students, Canning College students and international students.
(b) Percentages may not add to 100% due to rounding.
(c) As per National Standards for Student Attendance Data Reporting.
Source: System and School Performance

 

 

Figure A3: Percentage of public school students by subgroup by attendance category 2019 to 2023(a)(b)(c)

A stacked column chart of the attendance categories for all students and Aboriginal students. The percentage of students in each category (Regular attendance, indicated risk, moderate risk and severe risk) has remained consistent from 2019 to 2020. Regular attendance of all students declined from 70.2% in 2020 to 63.3% in 2021 and 46.6% in 2022, then increased to 55.8% in 2023 and for Aboriginal students from 33.5% in 2020 to 29.4% in 2021 and 16.8% in 2022, then increased to 24.5% in 2023. Students in attendance risk categories showed slight increases from 2020 to 2021, greater increases to 2022 and slight decreases to 2023.

(a) Excludes Kindergarten students, Canning College students and international students.
(b) As per National Standards for Student Attendance Data Reporting.
(c) 2020 data excludes Weeks 7 to 10, Term 1 due to disruptions caused by COVID‑19.
Source: System and School Performance 

 

 

Table A19: Apparent secondary retention rate (%) of public school students by subgroup 2019 to 2023(a)(b)(c)(d)

Subgroup 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
  % N % N % N % N % N
All 81.6 14,041 81.5 14,189 80.4 14,329 75.7 14,140 74.4 14,598
Female 85.7 7,118 84.9 7,154 83.9 7,167 79.5 7,114 78.3 7,460
Male 77.8 6,923 78.2 7,030 77.0 7,145 72.0 6,999 70.4 7,106
Aboriginal 47.6 768 46.9 783 47.5 750 47.9 825 50.0 923
Female 48.4 397 46.7 382 49.5 381 47.4 405 52.8 474
Male 46.8 371 47.1 401 45.6 369 48.2 419 47.3 449

(a) Excludes Canning College students, part‑time and international students, and mature‑aged students at senior campuses.
(b) All includes gender category ‘Other’.
(c) Calculated using the number of students in the Semester 2 student census. ‘N’ is the number of Year 12 students.
(d) Prior to 2020, the apparent retention rate is from Year 8 to Year 12. From 2020, the apparent retention rate is from Year 7 to Year 12. This change is because the 2020 Year 12 cohort was the first cohort to commence secondary school in Year 7.
Source: System and School Performance

 

 

Figure A4: Apparent secondary retention rate (%) of public school students by subgroup 2019 to 2023(a)(b)(c)(d)

A line chart of apparent secondary retention rates for each subgroup showing similar trends with one another over time. Female students have consistently had the highest retention rates, more than 6 percentage points higher than retention rates for male students for all years shown. In 2019, the overall retention rate was 81.6%, the female rate was 85.7%, the male rate was 77.8% and the rate for Aboriginal students was 47.6%. The rates for 2020 cannot be compared with previous years due to a change in methodology (refer to note d). The overall rates decreased from 81.5% in 2020 to 80.4% in 2021, to 75.7% in 2022 and 74.4% in 2023. The rate for female students decreased from 84.9% in 2020 to 83.9% in 2021, to 79.5% in 2022 and 78.3% in 2023. The rate for male students decreased from 78.2% in 2020 to 77.0% in 2021, to 72.0% in 2022 and 70.4% in 2023. The rate for Aboriginal students increased from 46.9% in 2020 to 47.5% in 2021, to 47.9% in 2022 and 50.0% in 2023.

(a) Excludes Canning College students, part‑time and international students, and mature‑aged students at senior campuses.
(b) All includes gender category ‘Other’.
(c) Calculated using the number of students in the Semester 2 student census.
(d) Prior to 2020, the apparent retention rate is from Year 8 to Year 12. From 2020, the apparent retention rate is from Year 7 to Year 12. This change is because the 2020 Year 12 cohort was the first cohort to commence secondary school in Year 7.
Source: System and School Performance 

 

 

Table A20: Year 12 public school student WACE achievement rate by subgroup 2022 and 2023(a)

  Subgroup 2022 2023
    % N % N
WACE achievement rate(b) All
Aboriginal		 80.7
41.5		 11,591
342		 82.5
44.5		 12,215
411

(a) ‘N’ is the number of students who achieved the outcome. Only includes students counted in the rate’s denominator.
(b) Percentage of Year 12 full‑time students in the Semester 2 student census who achieved WACE. For details on criteria required to achieve a WACE, refer to our WACE achievement key performance indicator.
Source: System and School Performance

 

 

Table A21: Year 12 public school student ATAR achievement by subgroup 2022 and 2023(a)(b)

  Subgroup 2022 2023
    % N % N
Students who achieved an ATAR(c) All
Aboriginal		 30.6
5.8		 4,422
48		 30.9
4.4		 4,592
41
ATAR students who achieved at least 55(d) All
Aboriginal		 87.0
62.5		 3,846
30		 87.8
73.2		 4,033
30

(a) Figures are ‘actuals’.
(b) ‘N’ is the number of students who achieved the outcome. Only includes students counted in the rate’s denominator.
(c) Percentages use the number of Year 12 students in the Semester 2 student census as the denominator.
(d) Percentages use the number of Year 12 students in the Semester 2 student census who achieved an ATAR as the denominator.
Source: System and School Performance

 

 

Table A22: Year 12 public student VET certificate II or higher achievement by subgroup 2022 and 2023(a)(b)

Subgroup 2022 2023
  Students Total VET certificates II or higher Students Total VET certificates II or higher
%(c) N %(c) N
All 56.3 8,128 12,044 55.4 8,235 12,341
Aboriginal 47.2 390 545 48.5 450 620

(a) Figures are ‘actuals’.
(b) ‘N’ is the number of students who achieved a VET certificate II or higher achievement. Only includes students counted in the rate’s denominator.
(c) The number of Year 12 students in the Semester 2 student census is the denominator.
Source: System and School Performance

 

 

Table A23: WACE achievement rate (%) of Year 12 public school students by subgroup 2019 to 2023(a)(b)(c)

Subgroup 2019    2020    2021    2022    2023   
All 80.7    81.7    81.1    80.7    82.5   
Male 78.1    80.1    79.9    78.8    80.4   
Female 83.2    83.3    82.4(d) 82.5    84.6   
Aboriginal   46.9(e) 46.2    42.7    41.5    44.5   

(a) Year 12 full‑time students in the Semester 2 student census.
(b) All includes gender category ‘Other’.
(c) Year 12 WACE achievement data from the School Curriculum and Standards Authority and taken at a point in time. Data may be updated after this time for a variety of reasons such as students successfully appealing their results.
(d) Revised, previously reported as 82.3.
(e) Revised, previously reported as 46.7.
Source: System and School Performance

 

 

Table A24: Satisfaction of Year 12 public school students by subgroup 2019 to 2023(a)(b)

Subgroup 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023​​​​​(c)
% satisfied with quality of teaching
All 87.4 88.4 86.0 85.1 86.2
Male 86.5 88.0 86.3 84.5 85.1
Female 88.3 88.8 85.9 85.7 87.2
Aboriginal 86.5 88.8 89.1 86.4 85.1
% satisfied with quality of education facilities
All 83.3 84.2 81.3 79.4 79.7
Male 82.5 83.6 81.6 78.4 78.7
Female 84.1 84.6 81.0 80.3 80.4
Aboriginal 83.9 85.6 81.3 80.5 75.5

(a) Post‑school intentions and satisfaction survey, conducted in Semester 2.
(b) All includes gender category ‘Other’.
(c) Completed by more than 6,500 Year 12 students.
Source: System and School Performance