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Education Statistics for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples methodology

Latest release

Reference period

2021

Released

11/07/2024

Next release Unknown

Collections

This publication presents results from the 2001 to 2021 Census of Population and Housing (Census), the 2008 and 2014-15 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey (NATSISS), and the 2012-13 and 2018-19 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey (NATSIHS).

For the respective Methodologies, refer to the following:

Census

NATSIHS

NATSISS

Table 1. Key methodology information about Census, NATSIHS and NATSISS
	Census of Population and Housing (Census)	National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey (NATSIHS)	National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey (NATSISS)
Scope	All people in Australia on Census night in private and non-private dwellings. Excludes foreign diplomats and their families.	Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people of all ages living in private dwellings in non-remote and remote areas of Australia, including discrete Indigenous communities.	Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people of all ages living in private dwellings in non-remote and remote areas of Australia, including discrete Indigenous communities.
Sample	Not applicable.	The 2018-19 NATSIHS had a sample of 10,579 fully responding people/6,388 households (see Methodology for more information).	The 2014-15 NATSISS had a sample of 11,178 fully responding people/6,611 households (see User Guide for more information).
Collection Methodology	An online or paper form self-completed by households or completed with interviewer assistance in some situations (e.g., Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities). See Census Methodology for more information.	Computer-assisted personal interview.	Computer-assisted personal interview.
Response rates and undercoverage	For the 2021 Census: Item non-response to the Indigenous Status question: 4.9%. Net Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander undercount (from the 2021 Census Post Enumeration Survey): 17.4%.	For the 2018-19 NATSIHS: Household response rate: 73.4%. Undercoverage: 67% of the in-scope Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population. See Methodology for more information.	For the 2014-15 NATSISS: Household response rate: 80.3%. Undercoverage: 62% of the in-scope Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population. See Explanatory Notes for more information.

Comparability of Census and survey data

Data collected from the Census and surveys are not comparable due to the differences in their scope and design.

In the Census, all people present on Census night are approached to participate so there is no weighting required, and no sampling error involved.

In the ABS Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander surveys, only part of the total Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population is approached to participate. Responses are weighted to make inferences about the whole population. As a result, surveys are subject to a degree of sampling error. The ABS publishes measures of sampling error for survey data that provide an indication of the accuracy of survey data. Further information about measures of error in sample surveys is available in Errors in Statistical Data.

Further information about the differences between the Census and surveys, and the advantages and disadvantages of each is available in Samples and Censuses.

Data definitions

Data definitions table

Table 2. Education Statistics for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people – data definitions(a)
Measurement	Downloads table	Collection	Data items	Inclusions/Exclusions
People attending school	Preschool education - tables 1.1-1.10	Census 2001-2021.	Type of educational institution attending.	Denominator includes all levels of educational institutions attending, including not stated and not applicable.
	Primary education - tables 1.1-1.11
	Secondary education - tables 1.1-1.11
Whether missed days at school last week	Preschool education, tables 2.1-2.2	NATSISS 2008, 2014-15.	Whether child missed days at school in last week.	Denominator includes ‘not stated’ whether missed days at school in last week.
	Primary education, tables 2.1-2.2		Whether child missed days at school in last week.
	Secondary education, tables 2.1-2.2		Year child currently attending at school [preschool, primary school (kindergarten/prep to year 6), secondary school (year 7 to year 10)].
How well school advised of child's progress	Preschool education, tables 3.1-3.2	NATSISS 2008, 2014-15.	How well school advised of child’s progress.	Denominator includes ‘not known’ how well school advised of child’s progress.
	Primary education, tables 3.1-3.2		How well school advised of child’s progress.
	Secondary education, tables 3.1-3.2		Year child currently attending at school [preschool, primary school (kindergarten/prep to year 6), secondary school (year 7 to year 10)].
Whether culture is being taught at school	Preschool education, table 4.1	NATSISS 2014-15.	Whether culture being taught to child at school.	N/A
	Primary education, tables 4.1-4.2		Whether culture being taught to child at school.
	Secondary education, tables 4.1-4.2		Year child currently attending at school [preschool, primary school (kindergarten/prep to year 6), secondary school (year 7 to year 10)].
Highest year of school completed	Secondary education – tables 5.1-5.2 (Survey), tables 6.1-6.10 (Census)	NATSISS 2008 and 2014-15, NATSIHS 2012-13 and 2018-19, Census 2001-2021.	Highest year of school completed.	Denominator for surveys include ‘never attended school’ for Highest year of school completed.
Highest year of school completed			Age (20+).	Denominator for Census includes ‘did not go to school’ and excludes ‘not stated’.
Types of assistance that would help students complete year 12	Secondary education – table 7.1	NATSISS 2014-15.	Types of assistance that would help child in secondary school complete year 12.	Excludes those that do not usually attend school or are not currently attending secondary school.
	Secondary education – table 7.1	NATSISS 2014-15.	Types of assistance that would help adult aged 15-19 years complete year 12.	Excludes those that are not currently studying full-time at secondary school.
Non-school education attendance	Non-school education – tables 1.1-1.10 (Census), table 2.1 (Survey)	Census 2001-2021.	Type of educational institution attending.	Student status excludes those not attending an institution and where the institution or the student status was not stated. 2021 includes the new category of nfd – not further defined.
		Census 2001-2021.	Full-time/part-time student status.
		NATSISS 2008 and 2014-15, NATSIHS 2012-13 and 2018-19.	Type of educational institution attending.	Type of educational institution ‘Other’ includes Business college, Industry skills centre and Other.
			Whether currently studying full-time or part-time.	Whether studying full-time or part-time excludes those not studying.
			Level of current non-school qualification.	Level of current non-school qualification excludes those at secondary school only and whose level was not determined.
Level of highest non-school qualification	Non-school education – tables 3.1-3.2	Census 2001-2021.	Non-school qualification: level of education.	Excludes level of education inadequately described and not stated and includes not applicable (those without a non-school qualification).
			Type of educational institution attending.	Excludes those currently studying at secondary school (Type of educational institution attending).
			Age (20+).
Whether has a non-school qualification at Certificate III or above, 25-34 years (Census specifications are comparable with Closing the Gap Target)	Closing the Gap, tables 3.1-3.10 (Census), tables 4.1-4.2 (Survey)	Census 2001-2021, NATSISS 2008 and 2014-15, NATSIHS 2012-13 and 2018-19.	Level of highest educational attainment.	Census- People whose highest level of educational attainment was inadequately described or not stated were excluded from both the numerator and denominator. In Census 2001-2011 a recode of Non-school qualification: level of education and Highest level of schooling completed is used to replicate the Level of highest educational attainment coding. These recodes exclude certificate level, nfd. Denominator excludes those whose level of highest educational attainment could not be determined.
			Age (25-34 years).	Survey – ‘Does not have a non-school qualification at Certificate III or above’ includes certificate not further defined and those who never attended school and have no non-school qualifications. Denominator excludes those whose level of highest educational attainment could not be determined.
Whether attained year 12 or equivalent or Certificate III or above (Specifications are comparable with Closing the Gap target for 20-24 year age group)	Closing the Gap, tables 1.1-1.10 (Census), tables 2.1-2.2 (Survey)	Census 2001-2021.	Non-school qualification: level of education/Level of highest non-school qualification.	People who had not attained a school qualification of year 12 or equivalent, and whose highest level of non-school qualification was determined to be certificate level but was not able to be further defined, were assumed to have attained below Certificate level III and were therefore excluded from the numerator.
			Highest year of school completed.	People who did not state if they had a non-school qualification (or whose level of education was inadequately described) and had not completed a school qualification of year 12 or equivalent, are excluded from the calculation (numerator and denominator). People who did not state their highest year of school completed and did not have a qualification at Certificate III level or above are also excluded.
			Age (20+).
Engagement in employment, education, and training	Closing the Gap 5.1-5.10	Census 2001-2021.	Engagement in employment, education, and training.	Excludes at least partially engaged and not stated.
Educational intentions	Education intentions and culture taught in schools, tables 1.1-1.2	NATSISS 2008, 2014-15.	Whether wanted to study for an educational qualification in the last 12 months.	Excludes those currently studying. Denominator for Whether has future educational intentions includes ‘intentions to study are unknown'.
			Whether has future educational intentions.
			Level of current study (not enrolled).
			Age (20+).
Whether culture taught at school	Education intentions and culture taught in schools, tables 2.1-2.2	NATSISS 2014-15.	Whether taught Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander culture at school or as part of further study.	Excludes those who never attended school or undertook further studies.

(a) All data is for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples unless otherwise specified.

About ABS geography

The Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) provides a framework of statistical areas used by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) and other organisations to enable the publication of statistics that are comparable and spatially integrated. The ASGS provides users with an integrated set of standard areas that can be used for analysing, visualising, and integrating statistics produced by the ABS and other organisations. See Australia Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) edition 3 for further information about the ASGS.

The tables in this publication are presented by the following ASGS ABS Structures:

Main Structure

State and Territory

Remoteness Structure

Major Cities of Australia, Inner Regional Australia, Outer Regional Australia, Remote Australia, Very Remote Australia, and Remote and Non-remote areas.

Indigenous Structure

Indigenous Regions (IREG), Indigenous Areas (IARE) and Indigenous Locations (ILOC).

Census data is presented in all of the above Geography Structures, while the survey data is limited to State and Territory and Remoteness. Further information about ABS statistical geography and a diagram of how the various ABS Structures interrelate is available in ASGS Edition 3 structures.

The Indigenous Structure is based on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population distribution in the broader Australian community, so is ideal for analysis of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander data. In the ASGS Indigenous Structure, Indigenous Locations (ILOCs) are the smallest available unit. These are combined to create Indigenous Areas (IAREs) and then Indigenous Regions (IREGs). For further information see: Indigenous Structure. The ASGS Diagram demonstrates how the different structures of the ASGS are related.

Census data is also presented by the Non-ABS Structure of Local Government Areas. See Non ABS Structures for further information.

APA

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