Socioeconomic outcome area 5

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students achieve their full learning potential

TARGET 5

By 2031, increase the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (age 20-24) attaining year 12 or equivalent qualification to 96 per cent

Dashboard snapshot: The data below are the most recent at the time of preparing the July 2021 report. Please go to the dashboard to access the current data.

Nationally in 2016, 63.2 per cent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 20–24 years had attained Year 12 or obtained a non-school qualification at Certificate III or above (figure CtG5.1).

There are no new data since the baseline year of 2016.

Figure CtG5.1 displays the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and non-Indigenous people (aged 20 to 24 years) who had attained year 12 or equivalent or Certificate level III or above. The aim under Closing the Gap is to increase the proportion for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from a 2016 baseline value of 63.2 per cent to a target value of 96 per cent by 2031.

Target data specifications

Target 5: Increase the proportion of people attaining Year 12 or equivalent qualification

Outcome:

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students achieve their full learning potential.

Target:

By 2031, increase the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (20-24 years old) attaining Year 12 or equivalent qualification to 96 per cent.

Indicator:

The proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 20-24 years who have attained a minimum of Year 12 or equivalent, or Certificate level III or above qualification.

Measure:

The measure is defined as:

Numerator — number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 20-24 years old who have attained a school qualification of Year 12 or equivalent, or a non-school qualification at Certificate level III or above based on the Australian Qualifications Framework

Denominator — total number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the population aged 20-24 years old

and is presented as a percentage.

Target established:

National Agreement on Closing the Gap July 2020

Latest dashboard update:

23 June 2021

Indicator type:

Target

Interpretation of change:

A high or increasing proportion is desirable. An increase from the baseline year is an improvement.

Data source(s):

Name: ABS Census of Population and Housing, Census Table Builder (Basic)

Frequency: Five-yearly

Documentation (links): www.abs.gov.au/census

Data provider:

Provider name: Australian Bureau of Statistics

Provider area: Census

Baseline year:

2016

Target year:

2031

Disaggregations:

State and territory and Australia, by Indigenous status

Computation:

Numerator divided by Denominator multiplied by 100

Counting rules

Data are for all Australian residents enumerated in the Census that reported having a usual residence in Australia.

Geographical variables are based on a person's place of usual residence.

Includes (numerator):

  • people who have attained Year 12 or equivalent, or who have attained Certificate Level III or IV, Diploma or Advanced Diploma, Bachelor Degree, Graduate Diploma/Certificate or a Postgraduate Degree.

Includes (both numerator and denominator):

  • Australian totals include all states and territories (including Other Territories).

Excludes (numerator):

  • people whose certificate level was not further defined and did not have Year 12

Excludes (both numerator and denominator):

  • people who did not state if they had a non-school qualification or whose level of education was inadequately described and did not have Year 12
  • people who did not state their highest year of school and did not have a qualification at Certificate level III or above
  • people whose highest year of school and non-school qualification were ‘not stated’ or inadequately described
  • overseas visitors
  • people for whom Indigenous status was not stated.

Extraction

Census Table Builder (Basic) – Employment, Income and Education: INGP X YR12C3P (or HSCP X QALLP) X AGE5P X Main ASGS (UR)

Data quality considerations:

Data values have been randomly adjusted using perturbation to avoid the release of confidential data.

Future reporting:

Additional disaggregations required for future reporting:

  • Remoteness areas
  • Socioeconomic status of the locality
  • Disability status
  • Gender
  • Attainment categories: Attained Year 12 or equivalent and Attained Certificate level III or above (without attaining Year 12).

Supporting indicators

Driver

  • School attendance
  • School retention rates
  • At or above National Assessment Program
    Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) minimum standards in reading, writing and numeracy for Years 3, 5, 7 and 9
  • Mean scores of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander 15-year olds
    In the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) test

Contextual information

  • Mean score of NAPLAN reading, writing and numeracy for Years, 3, 5, 7 and 9
  • Rates of highest education/training level completed
    For those not completing Year 12 or equivalent
  • Progress towards parity

The Productivity Commission acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our respects to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures, Country and Elders past and present.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that this website may contain images, voices or names of people who have passed away.