Target 5
By 2031, increase the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (age 20-24) attaining year 12 or equivalent qualification to 96%.
Nationally in 2021, 68.1% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 20–24 years had attained Year 12 or equivalent qualification (figure CtG5.1).
This is an increase from 63.2% in 2016 (the baseline year).
Nationally, based on progress from the baseline, the target shows improvement but is not on track to be met. However, this assessment should be used with caution as it is based on a limited number of data points. Please refer to the How to interpret the data page for more information.
The state and territory assessments below reflect progress from the baseline (improvement, worsening or no change). There are no state and territory targets. The Australia assessment reflects progress from the baseline towards the national target.
| NSW | Vic | Qld | WA | SA | Tas | ACT | NT | Aust | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment of progress 2016 to 2021 |  | | | | | | | |  |
improvement 
no change 
worsening not applicable as required data not available. 
good improvement and target on track to be met (Aust only). improvement but target not on track to be met (Aust only).
Note: These assessments of progress should be used with caution as they are based on a limited number of data points.
Historical and ongoing target context
Education is intertwined with many social and economic benefits that support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to thrive. While reaching one’s full potential can look different for each person, higher levels of education are associated with improved health and wellbeing, access to housing and greater employment and earning opportunities (AIHW 2022; DoE 2012; Venn and Biddle 2018).
For tens of thousands of years, family and community have played a vital role in traditional education and learning for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people (Hughes and More 1997; Price and Rogers 2019). Communities identified the skills of their young people and then nurtured and mentored them throughout their lifetimes (Price and Rogers 2019). Children would learn from their teachers, mentors and peers each day through a variety of inquiry-based learning styles, including observation and imitation, personal trial and feedback, the mastering of context specific skills (Hegazy 2021; Perso 2012; Price and Rogers 2019). This approach to education embedded a sense of purpose and provided children and young people with the critical and creative thinking skills they needed to survive and thrive (Hegazy 2021; Price and Rogers 2019).
Colonisation and subsequent assimilation policies disrupted traditional learning practices. It brought a Western formalised education system that reflected a regulated and enforced participation approach which values Western knowledge above Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of knowing (Bodkin-Andrews and Carlson 2016; Morrison et al. 2019). Instead of learning critical and creative thinking skills from parents, elders and other community members, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children were placed in formal learning environments aimed at ‘civilising’ them by imbuing them with European and Christian values (Morrison et al. 2019; Price and Rogers 2019). The abusive and harmful practices associated with ‘civilising’ Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children continues to cause distrust of educational institutions and government systems today (Krakouer 2015; Thackrah et al. 2021).
Culturally responsive schooling can build trust and enable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to reach their full learning potential within the Australian education system (Perso and Hayward 2020). It respects and values students' skills, cultural knowledges and supports students to learn and grow in ways that are tailored to their cultural frame of reference (Morrison et al. 2019; Perso 2012). Culturally responsive teaching involves teachers seeking to understand their students and can help enable a recognition of the links between education, power and cultural hierarchies within the education system (Bishop and Vass 2021). Culturally responsive schooling can enable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to reach their full potential and lead to better outcomes that reflect the aspirations of students, family, and community (Perso 2012).
Other factors that can enable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to reach their full potential include:
- Access to holistic, culturally safe and responsive early childhood education and care (Biddle and Bath 2013; Sims 2011).
- Primary and secondary school education that places high expectations on students (Morrison et al. 2019; OECD 2017).
- Student-focused supports, such as mentoring, school engagement programs, and targeted skill development (AIHW and AIFS 2011; OECD 2017).
- Addressing racism and discrimination within the classroom and the school environment, which can adversely impact academic aspirations, performance and engagement (Bodkin-Andrews and Carlson 2016; PC 2022; Priest et al. 2019).
- Strengthening connection to family and culture, which can support children to develop a strong sense of identity centred around community, culture and Country (SNAICC 2022, 2024; SNAICC et al. 2023).
- Access to integrated health, wellbeing, education and care supports through Aboriginal Community-Controlled Organisations (ACCOs), which support holistic wellbeing for children, young people and their families (SNAICC 2023).
References
AIHW and AIFS (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare and Australian Institute of Family Studies) 2011, Closing the school completion gap for Indigenous students, https://www.aihw.gov.au/getmedia/83074cc6-7dc9-40fb-9505-7b49c07e68e3/ctgc-rs06.pdf?v=20230605180934&inline=true (accessed 14 August 2024).
—— (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare) 2022, Determinants of health for Indigenous Australians, AIHW, https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australias-health/social-determinants-and-indigenous-health (accessed 30 January 2024).
Biddle, N and Bath, J 2013, CAEPR Indigenous Population Project - 2011 Census Papers, Education Part 1: Early childhood education, Paper 7.
Bishop, M and Vass, G 2021, ‘Talking about culturally responsive approaches to education: teacher professional learning, Indigenous learners and the politics of schooling’, The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, vol. 50, no. 2, pp. 340–347.
Bodkin-Andrews, G and Carlson, B 2016, ‘The legacy of racism and Indigenous Australian identity within education’, Routledge, Race Ethnicity and Education, vol. 19, no. 4, pp. 784–807.
DoE (Australian Government Department of Education) 2012, Review of Higher Education Access and Outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People, Text, https://www.education.gov.au/aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-higher-education/review-higher-education-access-and-outcomes-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-people (accessed 18 April 2024).
Hegazy, DH 2021, ‘A Strength-Based Approach: Empowering Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Students to Reach their Learning Potential’, vol. 1, no. 3.
Hughes, P and More, A 1997, ‘Aboriginal Ways of Learning and Learning Styles’, presented at the Aboriginal ways of learning and learning styles, Brisbane.
Krakouer, J 2015, ‘Literature review relating to the current context and discourse on Indigenous cultural awareness in the teaching space: Critical pedagogies and improving Indigenous learning outcomes through cultural responsiveness.’
Morrison, A, Rigney, L-I, Hattam, R and Diplock, A 2019, Toward an Australian culturally responsive pedagogy: a narrative review of the literature, University of South Australia - Document Services, Underdale.
OECD 2017, Promising Practices in Supporting Success for Indigenous Students, OECD.
PC (Productivity Commission) 2022, Review of the National School Reform Agreement, Study Report, Canberra, December.
Perso, T 2012, Cultural responsiveness and school education with particular focus on Australia’s first peoples: a review & synthesis of the literature, Menzies School of Health Research, Centre for Child Development and Education, Darwin.
—— and Hayward, C 2020, Teaching Indigenous Students: Cultural awareness and classroom strategies for improving learning outcomes, Routledge, London.
Price, K and Rogers, J 2019, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education, Cambridge University Press.
Priest, N, Chong, S, Truong, M, Sharif, M, Dunn, K, Paradies, Y, Nelson, J, Alam, O, Ward, A and Kavanagh, A 2019, Findings from the 2017 Speak Out Against Racism (SOAR) student and staff surveys, ANU Centre for Social Research & Methods, Canberra, ACT.
Sims, M 2011, Early childhood and education services for Indigenous children prior to starting school, Closing the Gap Clearinghouse, Canberra, ACT.
SNAICC 2022, ‘Aboriginal Cultural Safety Framework for Early Childhood Education’.
—— 2023, Stronger ACCOs, Stronger Families Final Report.
—— 2024, Funding Model Options for ACCO Integrated Early Years Services, https://www.snaicc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/240507-ACCO-Funding-Report.pdf (accessed 27 May 2024).
——, Family Matters Leadership Group, Monash University, and University of Technology Sydney 2023, Family Matters Report 2023.
Thackrah, RD, Bessarab, D, Papertalk, L, Bentink, S and Thompson, SC 2021, ‘Respect, Relationships, and “Just Spending Time with Them”: Critical Elements for Engaging Aboriginal Students in Primary School Education’, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, vol. 19, no. 1, p. 88.
Venn, D and Biddle, N 2018, Employment outcomes, Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research, Canberra, ACT.
Disaggregations
Data tables appear under figures
By sex
Nationally in 2021, a higher proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander females aged 20–24 years had attained Year 12 or equivalent qualification (71.7%) compared to males (64.5%) (figure CtG5.2). The proportions have increased by around seven percentage point for females and two percentage point for males since the 2016 baseline year.
By remoteness area
Nationally in 2021, the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 20–24 years who have attained Year 12 or equivalent qualification was highest in major cities (75.9%) (figure CtG5.3). The proportions declined as remoteness increased, down to 41.7% for people living in very remote areas. The proportions have increased in all remoteness areas since the 2016 baseline year, though less so in very remote areas (less than one percentage point).
By Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage (IRSD) quintile
Nationally in 2021, the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 20–24 years who have attained Year 12 or equivalent qualification was highest in the least disadvantaged socio‑economic areas of Australia (86.8%) (figure CtG5.4). The proportions declined in more disadvantaged areas, down to 57.7% for people living in the most disadvantaged socio‑economic areas of Australia. The proportions have increased in all socio‑economic areas since the 2016 baseline year.
By disability status
Nationally in 2021, a lower proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 20–24 years with a need for assistance with core activities had attained Year 12 or equivalent qualification (64.3%) compared to persons who do not have a need for assistance with core activities (69.6%) (figure CtG5.5). The proportion increased by around 11% for people with a need for assistance with core activities and six percentage point for people who do not have a need for assistance since the 2016 baseline year.
By attainment category
Nationally in 2021, the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 20–24 years who had attained Year 12 or equivalent qualification was mainly driven by people who had completed schooling at Year 12 or equivalent (59.5%, an increase of seven percentage point since the 2016 baseline), compared to people who had not completed school but had obtained a non-school qualification at Certificate III or above (8.6%, a decrease of around two percentage point since the 2016 baseline) (table CtG5A.6).
Target data specifications
Outcome: | Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students achieve their full learning potential. |
|---|---|
Target: | By 2031, increase the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (20–24 years old) attaining Year 12 or equivalent qualification to 96%. |
Indicator: | The proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 20–24 years who have attained a minimum of Year 12 or equivalent, or Certificate level III or above qualification. |
Measure: | The measure is defined as: Numerator – number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 20–24 years old who have attained a school qualification of Year 12 or equivalent, or a non‑school qualification at Certificate level III or above based on the Australian Qualifications Framework Denominator – total number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the population aged 20-24 years old and is presented as a percentage. |
Target established: | National Agreement on Closing the Gap July 2020 |
Latest dashboard update: | 15 June 2023 |
Indicator type: | Target |
Interpretation of change: | A high or increasing proportion is desirable. |
Data source(s): | Name: ABS Census of Population and Housing, Census Table Builder (Basic) Frequency: Five‑yearly Documentation (links): www.abs.gov.au/census |
Data provider: | Provider name: Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Provider area: Census |
Baseline year: | 2016 |
Latest reporting period | 2021 |
Target year: | 2031 |
Disaggregations: | State and territory and Australia, by Indigenous status. State and territory and Australia, by Indigenous status, by sex. State and territory and Australia, by Indigenous status, by remoteness area. State and territory and Australia, by Indigenous status, by Index of Relative Socio‑economic Disadvantage (IRSD) quintile. State and territory and Australia, by Indigenous status, by disability status. State and territory and Australia, by Indigenous status, by attainment category. |
Computation: | Numerator divided by Denominator multiplied by 100. Counting rules The data is for all Australian residents enumerated in the Census that reported having a usual residence in Australia. Geographical variables are based on a person's place of usual residence (on Census night). Includes (numerator):
Includes (both numerator and denominator):
Excludes (numerator):
Excludes (both numerator and denominator):
Disaggregations: Sex refers to a person’s biological characteristics. The 2021 Census allowed all respondents to select from three response options for the sex question: male, female and non‑binary sex. Where a respondent has provided a male or female response and a non‑binary sex response, the male or female response was used to determine a binary sex variable. Otherwise, sex was derived by a statistical process using random allocation. Remoteness area is classified according to the ABS Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) using SA1 as the building block. For people with incomplete/invalid or missing address information, the ABS imputes the place of usual residence. The non‑response rate at the SA1 level was 4.4% in 2021. Remoteness area disaggregations exclude ‘Migratory – Offshore – Shipping’ and ‘No usual address’. Please see the How to interpret the data page for more information. Socio‑economic status of the locality is classified according to the Socio‑economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA): Index of Relative Socio‑economic Disadvantage (IRSD) using SA1 as the building block. For people with incomplete/invalid or missing address information, the ABS will impute the place of usual residence. That data is reported by IRSD quintile, which is determined at the Australian level and excludes persons with unknown or unavailable SEIFA score. Some individual geographic areas were excluded from SEIFA for various reasons, such as low population or high non‑response to certain Census questions. Please see the How to interpret the data page for more information. Disability is classified according to core activity need for assistance. The data is only available for people with a profound or severe core activity limitation. Disability data sourced from the Census is based on four questions to identify need for assistance and may not be fully comparable with data from other sources. See www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/4431.0.55.002 for more information. (Data for people whose ‘need for assistance with core activities’ was not stated is provided for context.) Attainment categories is classified according to Highest Year of School Completed. Extraction Census Table Builder (Basic) – Employment, Income and Education: INGP X YR12C3P (or HSCP X QALLP) X AGE5P X Main ASGS (UR) [Disaggregations: X SEX, X REMOTE (UR), X IRSD, X ASSNP, X HSCP]. |
Data quality considerations: | All data values have been randomly adjusted using perturbation to avoid the release of confidential data. Proportions/rates calculated for small populations should be used with caution. |
Supporting indicators
Driver
- School attendance
- School retention rates
- At or above National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) minimum standards
In reading, writing and numeracy for years 3, 5, 7 and 9
- Mean scores of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander 15-year olds
In the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) test
Contextual information
- Mean score of NAPLAN reading, writing and numeracy for Years, 3, 5, 7 and 9
- Rates of highest education/training level completed
For those not completing Year 12 or equivalent
- Progress towards parity
Material for download
- Students achieve their full learning potential data tables (XLSX - 92 Kb)
- Students achieve their full learning potential dataset (CSV - 198 Kb)
To assist with interpretation of the data provided (Excel data tables and CSV dataset) please refer to the target data specification (above) and the indicator data specifications (provided in each supporting indicator page – linked above).