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	EDUCATION: TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER PEOPLE
	This article is part of a comprehensive series released as The Health and Welfare of Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

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KEY MESSAGES In 2008, 36% of Torres Strait Islander people aged 15 years and over (excluding those still attending secondary school) had completed Year 12, higher than the rate for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults (22%). Almost half (49%) of Torres Strait Islander people aged 25–64 years had attained a non-school qualification in 2008, up from 33% in 2002. Similar results were observed for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

This topic provides an overview of educational attainment of Torres Strait Islander people, drawing on data from the 2008 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey (NATSISS). Information presented includes:

• highest year of school completed
• non-school qualifications.

This topic includes some contrasts between Torres Strait Islander people living in the Torres Strait Indigenous Region and those living elsewhere. The analysis also includes comparisons with the overall Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population. For a more detailed discussion on education for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, see the Education topic. For information on other aspects of Torres Strait Islander peoples' health and welfare see the Torres Strait Islander people topic.


HIGHEST YEAR OF SCHOOL COMPLETED

In 2008, 36% of Torres Strait Islander people aged 15 years and over (excluding those still attending secondary school) had completed Year 12. This was higher than for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults (22%). Younger Torres Strait Islander adults aged 15–34 years were more than twice as likely to have completed Year 12 than those aged 35 years and over (49% compared with 22%). There was no significant difference in Year 12 attainment rates between Torres Strait Islander people living in the Torres Strait Indigenous Region compared with those living elsewhere.


NON-SCHOOL QUALIFICATIONS

In 2008, almost half (49%) of all Torres Strait Islander people aged 25–64 years had attained a non-school qualification, up from 33% in 2002. This increase was driven by more Torres Strait Islander people attaining a non-school qualification of Certificate III or higher — up by 17 percentage points (36% in 2008 compared with 19% in 2002).

In 2008, more Torres Strait Islander women (57%) than men (41%) had attained a non-school qualification. Rates of attainment were similar for Torres Strait Islander people living in the Torres Strait Indigenous Region and those living elsewhere.

Non-school qualification attainment rates for Torres Strait Islander people were similar to those for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

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