Education Snapshots

Apparent retention rate

The apparent retention rate is an estimate of the progression of students. It is arrived at by estimating the number of students enrolled in year 12 (and the number of students that had been enrolled 2 years prior, ie in year 10). In 2019, the apparent retention rate for all South Australian students was 89%, an increase since 2010 (81%) and higher than the national average (82%).

In 2019, the retention rate for Aboriginal students in South Australia was 78%, an increase since 2010 (65%) and higher than the national average (60%).

The retention rate for independent schools is 98%. Government schools have a retention rate of 85% and Catholic schools have a retention rate of 91%.

Senior school certificate

In 2017, the proportion of young people that completed a senior school certificate or equivalent in South Australia was 88%, a significant increase since 2009 (65%). The national average of completion in 2017 was 79%.

The regions in South Australia with the highest proportions of young people completing a senior school certificate in 2017 were metropolitan Adelaide and outer regional South Australia (both 89%).

South Australia is the state with the highest proportion of young people completing a senior school certificate or equivalent in 2017 (88%), compared to Queensland (85%), Victoria (81%) and Western Australia (79%).

• Early childhood development

• Writing
• Reading
• Numeracy

• Young people in full-time education
• School attendance