4102.0 - Australian Social Trends, 2001
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 06/06/2001
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Participation in Education: Time spent studying
Time spent on education activities Students overall spent 354 minutes per day on education activities in 1997. This was 20 minutes per day less than they spent in 1992. Most of this change can be attributed to a reduction in the amount of time male students spent studying (from 403 minutes in 1992 to 359 minutes in 1997). Male school students recorded the largest reduction in study time, spending an hour less on education activities in 1997 than they did in 1992. While female school students also spent slightly less time studying in 1997 (404 minutes per day compared with 412 minutes in 1992), the overall time spent by all female students increased by 3 minutes between 1992 and 1997. In 1997, both sexes overall spent similar amounts of time on education activities (359 minutes for males and 350 minutes per day for females). TIME SPENT BY STUDENTS ON EDUCATION ACTIVITIES
The proportions of time students spent on specific education activities did not change greatly between 1992 and 1997. However, students spent less of their time attending education courses in 1997 (42% compared with 45% in 1992), and more of their time on homework, study and research (39% compared with 36% in 1992). PROPORTION OF TIME SPENT BY STUDENTS ON SELECTED EDUCATION ACTIVITIES (a) Includes Associated communication, Education activities not further defined, and Education activities not elsewhere classified. Source: How Australians Use Their Time, 1997 (ABS cat. no. 4153.0). Age and participation In 1997, education was undertaken mainly by young people, with 62% of all students (88% of full-time students) being aged between 15 and 24 years. The average time these students spent on education activities each day (388 minutes) largely reflected the high proportion of students in this age group who were studying full-time. While the number of full-time students was much lower among students aged 25 years and over, the number studying part-time decreased only slightly in the older age groups. The smaller total average time older students spent studying consequently reflected this lower proportion of full-time participation. Full-time students across all age groups spent similar amounts of time studying in 1997, with those aged 25-34 years spending the most time (415 minutes per day). TIME SPENT ON EDUCATION ACTIVITIES BY FULL-TIME AND PART-TIME STUDENTS, 1997
Source: ABS 1997 Time Use Survey. The different proportions of full-time and part-time students did not account for all variations in total average study time across age groups in 1997. Students aged 45 years and over spent more time studying than those aged 35-44 years (264 minutes compared with 211 minutes per day), despite being a much smaller proportion of full-time students. This possibly reflects their greater availability of time, due to the reduced child care, and other family responsibilities, within this age group. FULL-TIME AND PART-TIME STUDENTS BY AGE GROUP, 1997 Source: ABS 1997 Time Use Survey. Type of qualification There are a wide range of qualification options open to post-school students in Australia. However, each different qualification type places different demands upon students, and these demands are often reflected in the respective amount of time students spend studying. Among full-time students in 1997, most time was spent by those studying for a bachelor degree (419 minutes per day), followed by those studying for a skilled vocational qualification (382 minutes). Among part-time students, those studying for a skilled vocational qualification in 1997 spent most time on education activities (264 minutes per day), followed by those studying for a higher degree (255 minutes). Students studying for a basic vocational qualification spent the least time on education activities among those studying either full-time or part-time (324 minutes and 105 minutes per day respectively). TIME SPENT BY POST-SCHOOL STUDENTS ON EDUCATION ACTIVITIES, 1997(a)
Source: ABS 1997 Time Use Survey. Life stage and living arrangements The amount of time younger students have available to spend on education activities is often made possible through family support and an absence of other responsibilities. However, for those living independently, or in relationships, the availability of study time can be dependent upon the distribution of household duties and responsibilities (e.g. childcare, domestic activities), and the level of support given by partners or others. Among those studying full-time, male students living alone spent more time on education activities (537 minutes per day), than students in any other living arrangements. This is likely to reflect their lower level of responsibilities and family obligations. In contrast, lone parents (predominately females) who studied full-time averaged the least amount of time studying (254 minutes per day), as might be expected with their level of child care responsibility and absence of partner support. Among full-time students who were living with a partner in 1997, females spent more time studying than their male counterparts, regardless of whether they had dependent children or not. However, the majority (89%) of students who were partners in couples with dependent children were not studying full-time. In 1997, part-time students spent around half the amount of time on education activities as their full-time counterparts. Among part-time students, those living in a family household without either parenting or partnering responsibilities (mainly those living with parents) spent the most time on education activities (234 minutes per day), while lone parents studying part-time spent the least time (143 minutes). TIME SPENT BY STUDENTS ON EDUCATION ACTIVITIES, LIFE STAGE AND LABOUR FORCE STATUS, 1997(a)
(b) Includes partners in couples with non-dependant children only, and other living arrangements. Source: ABS 1997 Time Use Survey. Labour force participation For students who work, the time spent on education activities must often be balanced with their employment commitments. Over half (57%) of all students were employed in 1997, with similar proportions working full-time and part-time (29% and 28% respectively). The majority (82%) of students who were not working were either still at school or in full-time tertiary study. Further information about students combining work and education commitments can be found in Australian Social Trends 2001, Combining study and work. Among full-time students, those who were not in the labour force averaged the highest amount of study time (423 minutes per day). However, part-time students not in the labour force averaged less time studying than those either employed or unemployed. This was primarily because female part-time students who were not in the labour force spent only 123 minutes per day on education activities, reflecting the greater amount of time this group spent on household work and child care (see Australian Social Trends 2001, Time spent on unpaid household work). Time spent on other activities Spending time on education activities often involves a cost in terms of other activities a student could be doing. While the responsibilities of parenting or employment can be non-negotiable competitors for study time, the amount of time spent on other activities, such as recreation or personal care, is often a choice made by the student. In 1997, recreation and leisure made up the largest proportion of students' waking hours (29%). Education and employment activities both accounted for a further 17% each, while 15% was spent on personal care, and 8% of their time was spent on domestic activities. Compared with the population as a whole, students spent 25 minutes more sleeping, but 42 minutes less each day on employment, and 15 minutes less on personal care. Students averaged less time on child care than other Australians (18 minutes per day compared with 31 minutes), largely because the majority of students were aged under 25 years and therefore less likely to have child care responsibilities. While students spent less time on domestic activities (71 minutes compared with 136 minutes per day for the overall population), they still spent almost the same time as other Australians on recreation and socialising. AVERAGE TIME SPENT ON SELECTED MAIN(a) ACTIVITIES, 1997
(b) Includes average time spent by all students, not just those who participated in education activities during the time of the survey. (c) Includes activities not described elsewhere. Source: How Australians Use Their Time, 1997 (ABS cat. no. 4153.0). Endnotes 1 Australian Bureau of Statistics 1997, Transition from Education to Work, May 1997, cat. no. 6227.0, ABS, Canberra.
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