1301.0 - Year Book Australia, 2003  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 24/01/2003   
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Contents >> Education and Training >> Indigenous education and training

Indigenous school students

In 2001 there were 78,943 Indigenous students attending primary schooling and 36,522 Indigenous students attending secondary schooling.

Most Indigenous students (88%) attended government schools in 2001. Of the remainder attending non-government schools, most were attending Catholic schools (68%) (table 10.31). The increase in ungraded students between primary and secondary education is mostly attributable to the classification of secondary-age students in Northern Territory remote Homeland Learning Centres as ungraded. This is due to the difficulty of classifying such students in terms of the normal secondary grade structure.


10.31 FULL-TIME INDIGENOUS SCHOOL STUDENTS - August 2001

Non-government schools
Level/year of education
Government schools
Catholic
Other
Total
All schools

Primary
Pre-year 1(a)
6,056
474
126
600
6,656
Year 1
10,210
881
269
1,150
11,360
Year 2
9,943
833
260
1,093
11,036
Year 3
9,872
866
304
1,170
11,042
Year 4
9,792
819
260
1,079
10,871
Year 5
9,354
781
274
1,055
10,409
Year 6
9,195
781
290
1,071
10,266
Year 7 (Qld, SA, WA, NT)
5,241
441
205
646
5,887
Ungraded
1,039
160
217
377
1,416
Total
70,702
6,036
2,205
8,241
78,943
Secondary
Year 7 (NSW, Vic., Tas., ACT)
3,306
243
79
322
3,628
Year 8
7,361
777
551
1,328
8,689
Year 9
6,584
762
468
1,230
7,814
Year 10
5,522
710
449
1,159
6,681
Year 11
3,579
478
282
760
4,339
Year 12
2,076
352
192
544
2,620
Ungraded
2,121
238
392
630
2,751
Total
30,549
3,560
2,413
5,973
36,522
Total
101,251
9,596
4,618
14,214
115,465

(a) Pre-year 1 does not include Qld and WA.

Source: Schools, Australia, 2001 (4221.0).


Graph 10.32 shows a decline in government school attendance from Year 1 onwards in 2001. The number of Indigenous students attending non-government schools remained relatively stable across the early grades, followed by a slight increase in Year 8 students, then a decline until Year 12.

Graph - 10.32 Full-time indigenous school students - august 2001



Table 10.33 shows an increase in the number of Indigenous students between 1991 and 2001 from 72,249 to 115,465. Over this period, the number of Indigenous students attending each level of education increased in every state and territory. New South Wales and Queensland experienced the largest increases in Indigenous school attendance, by 15,597 and 11,625 respectively.
In 1991 and 2001 there were more Indigenous males in primary schooling than females. In secondary schooling, there were more Indigenous males in 1991 and more Indigenous females in 2001.


10.33 FULL-TIME INDIGENOUS SCHOOL STUDENTS(a), By level of education

NSW
Vic.
Qld
SA
WA
Tas.
NT
ACT(b)
Aust.

PRIMARY

Males
1991
6,080
897
7,102
1,542
4,426
621
4,341
152
25,161
2001
11,366
2,060
11,355
2,528
6,327
1,441
5,004
317
40,398
Females
1991
5,670
871
6,585
1,488
4,335
611
4,261
132
23,953
2001
10,842
2,041
10,850
2,474
5,884
1,365
4,776
313
38,545
Students
1991
11,750
1,768
13,687
3,030
8,761
1,232
8,602
284
49,114
2001
22,208
4,101
22,205
5,002
12,211
2,806
9,780
630
78,943

SECONDARY

Males
1991
3,339
613
3,413
582
1,864
412
1,298
81
11,602
2001
5,802
1,033
4,933
869
2,597
946
1,726
173
18,079
Females
1991
3,224
593
3,422
651
1,884
416
1,272
71
11,533
2001
5,900
1,093
5,009
975
2,704
902
1,678
182
18,443
Students
1991
6,563
1,206
6,835
1,233
3,748
828
2,570
152
23,135
2001
11,702
2,126
9,942
1,844
5,301
1,848
3,404
355
36,522

TOTAL

Males
1991
9,418
1,510
10,515
2,124
6,290
1,033
5,639
233
36,763
2001
17,168
3,093
16,288
3,397
8,924
2,387
6,730
490
58,477
Females
1991
8,894
1,464
10,007
2,139
6,219
1,027
5,533
203
35,486
2001
16,742
3,134
15,859
3,449
8,588
2,267
6,454
495
56,988
Students
1991
18,313
2,974
20,522
4,263
12,509
2,060
11,172
436
72,249
2001
33,910
6,227
32,147
6,846
17,512
4,654
13,184
985
115,465

(a) At August Schools Census date each year.
(b) Includes one government primary school in Jervis Bay Territory with 38 students (14 males, 24 females).

Source: Schools, Australia (4221.0).


Indigenous VET students

In 2001, 53% of Indigenous VET clients were male. In all geographic regions, the number of male Indigenous clients outnumbered their female counterparts (table 10.34). Indigenous VET clients were not as strongly affiliated with urban locations when compared to all VET clients. Some 27% of Indigenous clients were located in capital cities compared with 55% of all clients, and a further 27% of Indigenous clients were located in remote areas compared with 4% of all clients.


10.34 INDIGENOUS VET(a) CLIENTS(b), Vocational and preparatory courses(c) - 2001

Geographic region of client address

Units
Capital city
Other metropolitan
Rural
Remote
Other
Total

Indigenous clients
Males
'000
8.3
1.7
11.7
8.5
0.5
30.7
Females
'000
7.1
1.7
10.5
7.4
0.5
27.2
Persons
'000
15.4
3.4
22.2
15.9
1.1
58.0
All Indigenous clients
%
26.6
5.9
38.2
27.4
1.9
100.0
All clients
%
55.2
7.3
31.2
3.9
2.4
100.0

(a) Includes all VET delivery by TAFE and other government providers, registered community providers, some VET delivered in schools, and publicly funded delivery by private providers. Fee-for-service VET delivery by private providers has been excluded.
(b) A client is any individual participating in a specific enrolment or training contract with a specific organisation.
(c) Courses leading to a vocational award.

Source: National Centre for Vocational Education Research, data available on request.


Since clients may be enrolled in more than one VET course, the number of course enrolments is greater than the total number of clients. There were 78,100 Indigenous course enrolments in 2001 compared with 58,000 Indigenous clients.

There was an overall increase of 107% in Indigenous VET enrolments between 1995 and 2001 (table 10.35). While the largest increase in enrolments was in the field of Arts, humanities and social sciences (6,000 enrolments), the most rapid rate of growth over that period was in Law and legal studies where enrolments increased by more than 400%.

In 2001 there were more Indigenous enrolments (26%) in multi-field VET courses (including school courses offered in VET institutions) than in other courses. Arts, humanities and social sciences was the second most popular field of study, accounting for 12% of Indigenous enrolments.


10.35 INDIGENOUS VET(a) COURSE ENROLMENTS, Vocational and preparatory courses(b)

1995
2001
Field of study
’000
’000

Land and marine resources, animal husbandry
2.5
6.7
Architecture, building
1.5
3.7
Arts, humanities and social sciences
3.4
9.4
Business, administration and economics
4.8
9.1
Education
2.2
4.5
Engineering and surveying
2.6
6.0
Health, community services
2.4
8.4
Law, legal studies
0.1
0.5
Science
0.9
3.1
Veterinary science, animal care
-
0.1
Services, hospitality and transportation
2.6
6.6
VET multi-field education
14.8
20.0
Total
37.8
78.1

(a) Includes all VET delivery by TAFE and other government providers, registered community providers, some VET delivered in schools, and publicly funded delivery by private providers. Enrolments in fee-for-service VET courses of private providers have been excluded.
(b) Courses leading to a vocational award.

Source: National Centre for Vocational Education Research, data available on request.


Indigenous higher education students

In 2001, 7,342 Indigenous students were attending higher education. Females comprised 65% of Indigenous higher education students, compared to 55% of the total higher education student population.

Table 10.36 shows the distribution of Indigenous higher education students across states and territories in 2001. New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia had the largest number of Indigenous students, with the Australian Capital Territory and Tasmania having the smallest number.

The proportion of Indigenous students who were females was the highest in Northern Territory, Western Australia and South Australia (70%, 67% and 65% respectively). The Australian Capital Territory had the least differential between the number of male and female Indigenous students attending higher education institutions (53% were females).


10.36 INDIGENOUS HIGHER EDUCATION STUDENTS - 2001

Commencing Indigenous students
All Indigenous students


Males
Females
Persons
Males
Females
Persons

New South Wales
282
532
814
727
1,237
1,964
Victoria
142
233
375
293
477
770
Queensland
210
391
601
527
876
1,403
South Australia
88
107
195
159
294
453
Western Australia
238
514
752
442
899
1,341
Tasmania
61
54
115
103
131
234
Northern Territory
181
382
563
236
557
793
Australian Capital Territory
25
32
57
64
71
135
Multi-state(a)
20
74
94
53
196
249
Total
1,247
2,319
3,566
2,604
4,738
7,342

(a) Multi-state institutions have campuses in more than one state and/or territory.

Source: Department of Education, Science and Training, ‘Students 2001: Selected Higher Education Statistics’.


Graph 10.37 illustrates the increase in Indigenous participation in higher education over the past decade. Between 1991 and 2001 the number of Indigenous students increased by 53% from 4,807 to 7,342. The greatest annual increase of Indigenous students was between 1993 and 1994 when the number of students increased by 686 or 12%.

Graph - 10.37 All indigenous higher education students



Table 10.38 shows that in 2001 the fields of study with the largest numbers of Indigenous student enrolments were Society and culture (35%), Education (20%) and Health (14%).


10.38 INDIGENOUS HIGHER EDUCATION STUDENTS, By broad field of study and level of course - 2001

Field of study
Postgraduate degree
Postgraduate diploma/graduate certificate
Bachelor
degree
Associate degree/diploma and advanced diploma
Other award courses
Enabling
courses
Total

Natural and physical sciences
18
9
196
1
26
-
250
Information technology
6
3
127
2
-
-
138
Engineering and related technologies
5
1
92
2
-
-
100
Architecture and building
5
2
44
-
-
-
51
Agriculture, environment & related studies
10
14
89
27
2
43
185
Health
52
74
663
213
2
3
1,007
Education
81
84
959
317
7
10
1,458
Management and commerce
65
41
483
64
7
-
660
Society and culture
169
39
1,759
436
18
178
2,599
Creative arts
27
11
340
72
-
44
494
Food, hospitality and personal services
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Mixed field programmes
-
-
3
2
6
636
647
Non-award
-
-
-
-
-
-
14
Total(a)
438
278
4,494
1,136
68
914
7,342

(a) The data take into account the coding of combined courses to two fields of study. As a consequence, counting both fields of study for combined courses means that the data in the total row may be less than the sum of the data aggregated down each column.

Source: Department of Education, Science and Training, ‘Students 2001: Selected Higher Education Statistics’.



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