Education Snapshots

Young people in full-time education

In June 2018, 77% of young people aged 15-19 years were engaged in full-time education in South Australia. This has decreased from June 2017 when the proportion was 79%. Full-time education includes young people attending secondary school, technical or further education institutes (including TAFE) or university.

The proportion of young people in country South Australia engaged in full-time education is less than young people living in metropolitan Adelaide. In 2016, the Mid North region had 67% of young people aged 15-19 years engaged in full-time education whereas the Unley region in Adelaide had 84%.

In 2016, 62% of Aboriginal young people aged 15-19 years were engaged in full-time education.

School attendance

In South Australia, school is compulsory for all children and young people from 6 to 16 years. In 2018, the school attendance rate for year 1 to year 10 students in all South Australian schools was 92%, remaining steady since 2014 (92%).

By school sector, students from independent and Catholic schools have a higher attendance rate (both 93%) compared to students from government schools (91%). In 2018, Aboriginal children and young people had a school attendance rate of 81%. Students from metropolitan Adelaide had the highest school attendance rate (92%) compared to students in very remote South Australia (77%).