COAG education reports show early childhood and Year 12 are key
Written by Bella Counihan for The Conversation
Educational outcomes in Australia are showing signs of improvement, particularly in the early years and in Year 12 attainment, according to the latest reports from the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) reform council.
But the reports also reveal that one in eight working age Australians have the lowest level of literacy, while one in five have the lowest level of numeracy.
More than a quarter of young people are also not fully engaged in work or study after they leave school.
The number of young people fully engaged in work or study is down 1.2% since 2006. This is in part due to a fall in full-time young workers and comes despite a rise in the proportion of young people in full-time study.
Professor Greg Craven, deputy chairman of the COAG reform council and vice-chancellor at Australian Catholic University, said while there were positive results in other areas, this development was of real concern.
“What happens to young people when they leave school is crucial to how we meet the future demands of our economy – and to the quality of their lives,” Professor Craven said.