Leslie Massey
Education in Australia has seen several changes in recent years, with an increase in the number of students enrolled in schools across the country. As of 2024, over 4.1 million students were enrolled, with the majority attending government schools (63.4%), followed by Catholic schools (19.9%), and independent schools (16.8%). The student-to-teacher ratio has also decreased, with independent schools having the lowest ratio in 2024. The number of students enrolled in higher education has fluctuated due to the pandemic, with border closures reducing international students and increased domestic enrolments during the early pandemic years. Australia's education system has also seen a shift towards non-government schools, with concerns about underfunding in public schools.
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What You'll Learn
Student enrolments by school type
In 2024, there were over 4.1 million students enrolled in schools across Australia. The majority of students (63.4%) were enrolled in government schools, followed by Catholic schools (19.9%) and independent schools (16.8%).
While government schools still account for the largest proportion of students, non-government schools have seen a significant increase in enrolment numbers over the past five years. In 2024, secondary school enrolments in non-government schools grew by 3.3% (25,418 more students), while enrolments in government secondary schools increased by a smaller margin of 0.9% (9,731 more students). At the primary school level, enrolments in government schools declined by 0.3% (a loss of 4,312 students), while non-government primary school enrolments increased by 2% (14,171 more students).
These shifts in enrolment patterns have raised concerns about a potential "full-blown flight" of students from the public school system. Critics attribute this trend to decades of underfunding in public schools and the generous funding of private schools by governments. The growing concentration of socio-educationally disadvantaged students in government schools has become more pronounced, highlighting the challenges facing the public education sector.
Despite these concerns, the overall student retention rate in Australia has shown positive growth. In 2024, approximately 79.9% of students stayed enrolled from Year 7 until Year 12, an increase from 79.1% in the previous year. Independent schools had the highest retention rate (96.6%), followed by Catholic schools (81.6%) and government schools (74.1%). The retention rate was higher for females (83.5%) compared to males (76.5%) across all school types.
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Student retention rates
As of 2024, over 4 million students were enrolled in schools across Australia, with the majority attending government schools (63.4%), followed by Catholic schools (19.9%), and independent schools (16.8%).
In 2024, the Year 7/8 to 12 retention rate for Australia was 79.9%, representing an annual increase of 0.8%. This rate was higher for females (83.5%) than for males (76.5%). Independent schools boasted the highest retention rate of 96.6%, followed by Catholic schools (81.6%), and government schools (74.1%).
Similarly, the Year 10 to 12 retention rate for Australia increased by 1.2 percentage points between 2023 and 2024 to 79.9%. Again, females had a higher retention rate (83.5%) compared to males (76.4%). Independent schools led with a 91.0% retention rate, followed by Catholic schools (85.3%) and government schools (74.3%).
In higher education, retention rates among domestic undergraduate students have varied over the past seven years, with an overall decline between 2016 and 2022. Non-equity students consistently exhibited higher retention rates than equity groups, including students with disabilities, First Nations Australians, and those from low socio-economic backgrounds. First Nations Australian students experienced the sharpest drop in retention, decreasing by 3.2 percentage points from 2016 to 2022.
The Australian government's Higher Education Participation and Partnerships Program (HEPPP) aims to address these disparities by providing funding to support student retention initiatives, particularly for students from regional, remote, and low SES backgrounds.
It is worth noting that the 2020 data on student retention rates may be unreliable due to underreporting of enrolment numbers for students with disabilities during the transition to the Tertiary Collection of Student Information (TCSI) System.
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Teacher-student ratios
As of 2024, there were a total of 4,132,006 students enrolled in schools across Australia. The majority of students were enrolled in government schools (63.4%), followed by Catholic schools (19.9%), and independent schools (16.8%).
In the same year, there were 320,377 full-time equivalent (FTE) teaching staff in Australian schools, with 162,083 teachers in primary schools and 158,295 teachers in secondary schools. This represents an increase of 2.8% from 2023, with 230,809 female teachers and 89,569 male teachers. Notably, there was a higher proportion of male teachers in secondary schools (38.5%) compared to primary schools (17.6%). On the other hand, female teachers comprised a larger proportion in primary schools (82.4%) than in secondary schools (61.5%).
In terms of teacher-student ratios, independent schools had a lower student-to-teacher ratio in 2024, with approximately 11.7 students per teacher. In comparison, government and Catholic schools had higher ratios, with 13.1 and 13.3 students per teacher, respectively. New South Wales public schools had the highest student-teacher ratio across all states and territories, with 14.2 students for each teacher in primary and secondary schools combined. Western Australia followed closely with a ratio of 14.1. These figures highlight the disparities in teacher-student ratios between different types of schools and regions within Australia.
While the overall student enrolment growth rate in Australia increased by 1.1% from 2023 to 2024, the growth rates varied among school types. Non-government schools, including Catholic and independent schools, experienced a 2.7% increase in enrolments, while government school enrolments rose by only 0.2%. This suggests that the teacher-student ratios in government schools may be impacted by the slower growth in enrolments compared to non-government schools.
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Qualification rates
The overall number of commencing domestic undergraduate students decreased by 1.8% from 267,107 in 2022 to 262,396 in 2023, representing an 8.9% decline since the peak in 2017. This drop can be partly attributed to the end of the demand-driven system for Commonwealth-supported places in 2017. However, the COVID-19 pandemic also played a significant role, causing fluctuations in student enrolments. The closure of borders during 2020-2021 led to a reduction in overseas students, while higher unemployment and limited social activities resulted in increased domestic student enrolments during those years.
The representation of First Nations students in higher education has been a focus area. The proportion of commencing First Nations students increased from 2.4% in 2021 to 2.6% in 2023, while the total proportion of First Nations students rose from 2.1% in 2022 to 2.2% in 2023. Despite this progress, First Nations people remain underrepresented in higher education, as these proportions are below their representation in the Australian population.
At the primary and secondary school levels, retention rates have shown some improvement. The Year 7/8 to Year 12 retention rate for Australia increased by 0.8 percentage points to 79.9% in 2024. This rate was higher for females (83.5%) than for males (76.5%). Independent schools boasted the highest retention rate (96.6%), followed by Catholic schools (81.6%) and government schools (74.1%).
In terms of non-school qualifications, over 11 million people in Australia reported having a vocational or tertiary qualification, reflecting a 19.8% increase since 2016. Bachelor's degrees and higher were held by 5.5 million people, marking a 30.7% increase. Certificates from Level I to IV were obtained by 4 million people, a 10.6% increase. The fastest-growing qualifications were in fields like Security Science, Artificial Intelligence, and Southern Asian Languages.
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School attendance goals
One key goal has been to improve attendance rates among Indigenous students and close the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous school attendance. Bilingual education programs have been implemented with federal government support since the early 1970s, and Yirrkala Community School became the first to undergo bilingual accreditation in 1980. In more recent years, the focus has shifted towards encouraging families to enrol their children in preschool or kindergarten, offering quality early childhood education and care.
Another goal is to address the underrepresentation of First Nations people in higher education. While the proportion of commencing First Nations students increased from 2.4% in 2021 to 2.6% in 2023, it still remains below their proportion in the Australian population. The COVID-19 pandemic also impacted school attendance, with closed borders reducing the number of overseas students studying in Australia during 2020 and 2021. However, the reopening of borders in 2022 and 2023 led to a strong return of overseas students.
Additionally, there is a growing concern about a potential "full-blown flight" of students from public schools to private schools. This trend is attributed to various factors, including the perceived underfunding of public schools and the increasing popularity of homeschooling. Despite these challenges, Australia has consistently performed well in international education rankings, and the government continues to invest in the education sector, aiming to improve access and quality for all students.
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Frequently asked questions
As of 2024, there were over 4.1 million students enrolled in schools across Australia.
The number of students enrolled in higher education in Australia has been fluctuating in recent years. In 2023, there were 262,396 commencing domestic undergraduate students, the lowest in the last 10 years.
Most students in Australia are enrolled in government schools (63.4%), followed by Catholic schools (19.9%), and independent schools (16.8%).
