Grade 6 and Year 10 students below national average in science literacy, report finds

Little more than half of school students are proficient in science literacy and knowledge in the critical subject is less than it was two decades ago, shocking new figures have revealed.

Victorian grade six and year 10 students are scoring worse-off in science compared to almost 20 years ago.

A lack of science classes is taking a toll on the state’s grade six students, who performed worse in the subject compared to almost two decades ago, a new report has found.

Year six students in all states except Tasmania and the Northern Territory achieved higher science results than Victoria last year, according to Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) data.

Just 55 per cent of students in grade six attained the proficient standard in science literacy, which was two per cent below the national average and three per cent less than what Victorian students of the same age obtained in 2006, the National Assessment Program (NAP) – Science Literacy Report says.

Victorian grade six and year 10 students have scored below the national average in science, a new report has revealed.

Victorian grade six students also reported undertaking fewer science lessons than their interstate peers, with 14 per cent revealing they’ve never had a science class – the highest percentage recorded for this category Australia-wide and nine per cent above the national average.

Meanwhile, 36 per cent of students from the same cohort said they were offered science classes once a week and 21 per cent said they had a lesson once a month or less, with earth sciences, living things and states of matter the most common topics taught in Victorian classrooms.

The frequency of science classes offered to grade six students in Western Australia and New South Wales was far greater, with most pupils in these states engaging in the subject weekly.

As for senior students, the results were slightly better for last year’s grade 10 science cohort, who saw an improvement in their proficient standard score from 47 per cent in 2018 to 53 per cent in 2023. However they still scored below the national average by one per cent.

Overall, the report found students had positive attitudes towards science, despite less than half of pupils from both year levels sharing they had “in-depth discussions about science ideas” on a national scale.

It comes as schools across the state desperately search for science teachers to fill vacant roles, with 85 primary and secondary teaching positions in the discipline currently advertised on the Department of Education’s job portal for external applicants.

Grade six students are also offered less science classes than their interstate peers.

ACARA acting chief executive officer Stephen Gniel said it was crucial students gained science literacy knowledge for their future.

“Science is one of the cornerstones of 21st century society. It drives technological change, improves our quality of life and helps us understand the world around us,” he said.

“Therefore, it’s critical we are arming Australian students with the science literacy necessary not only to be able to participate as active citizens in our ever-advancing technological society, but also to help overcome its challenges, minimise its risks and contribute to its development.”

A state government spokeswoman admitted our science results “show room for improvement”.