National Schools Statistics Collection

The National Schools Statistics Collection (NSSC) provides nationally consistent school, student and staff data for government and non-government schools, across all states and territories. The NSSC is a rich source of statistics for informing education policy development, research and analysis.

The publication and associated pivot tables draw extensively on information provided by state and territory departments responsible for school education, and the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR).

The ABS continues to work with education data stakeholders to:

• develop concepts and methods for reporting education data;
• review and develop standards; and
• progress unit level data collection.

Outputs from the NSSC report data by year; state and territory; and affiliation (government or non-government - some tables identify Catholic and Independent). Collaboration between the ABS and education data stakeholders has informed the expansion of the range of outputs over recent issues, including the release of counts of schools and students (full-time equivalent) by geographical remoteness classification and the average age of students by grade, affiliation, and states and territories.

The most recent data was collected in August 2012. The initial release in February 2013 focussed on student data. Analysis and supporting documentation was published in March containing school data, staff data, measures of student engagement and a summary report. Tables of students' apparent rates of participation, continuation and progression for 2012 are now also available.

The latest data can be found in:
Schools, Australia, 2012 (cat. no. 4221.0)

For more information, contact National Information Referral Service on 1300 135 070 or email education.statistics@abs.gov.au