1367.5 - Western Australian Statistical Indicators, Sep 2009

ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 27/10/2009

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Contents >> Population and social trends >> Education and training

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

In 2008, there were 350,000 primary and secondary students attending schools full-time in Western Australia. Two-thirds (66%) of these students were attending government schools, similar to the national average (66%). Over the past decade the proportion of students attending government schools in Western Australia has steadily declined from 72% in 1998.

Apparent retention rates, for full-time school students from Year 7/8 to Year 12, for the state increased for both males and females from 2007 to 2008. For males, the apparent retention rate increased from 64% to 68% while, for females, it rose from 76% to 80%. This was a reversal of the trend in apparent retention rates, which had been declining in the state since 2005.
More than half (52%) of all 15-24 year-olds in Western Australia were participating in education in 2008. This was the lowest rate of all states and territories in Australia and was below the national participation rate of 59% for this age group.
From 2006 to 2007 the number of students in Western Australia attending a Vocational Education and Training institution increased by 3.7%, to 142,300. Meanwhile the number of higher education students rose by 5.3% to 106,200.
Overseas students accounted for 30% of all students attending higher education institutions in 2007, up from 28% in 2006. The proportion of overseas students attending higher education institutions in the state has doubled since 2001 (15%).
In 2008, almost 6 in 10 Western Australians aged 25-64 years had obtained a non-school educational qualification. Of the total population in this age group, 23% had a Bachelor degree or above and 36% an Advanced diploma or diploma or below.
Increasing participation in non-school education and greater demand for skilled workers are reflected in the rising number of people with non-school qualifications. From 1998 to 2008 the proportion of the state population aged 25-54 years with a non-school qualification rose from 47% to 59%.

The link below provides time series data (1998 to 2008) on a Summary of Education and Training statistics from Australian Social Trends, Data Cube - Education and training - National and state summary tables (cat. no. 4102.0). The spreadsheet containing the data can be accessed from the downloads tab.