Tasmania’s retention rate barely changes, despite Year 12 focus

UPDATED: EDUCATION Minister Jeremy Rockliff says it is “too simplistic” to compare education data from a decade ago with results from today after a report showed Tasmania’s year 12 retention rate increased by just 1 per cent between 2010 and 2017.

Deputy Premier and Education Minister Jeremy Rockliff.

UPDATED: Education Minister Jeremy Rockliff says it is “too simplistic” to compare education data from a decade ago with results from today after a report showed Tasmania’s year 12 retention rate increased by just 1 per cent between 2010 and 2017.

Mr Rockliff said the Government’s plan for education was working, pointing to year-on-year improvements.

He highlighted an increase in extension schools, improved apparent and direct retention rates, and increased year 12 attainment.

“Because of our plan, more students are staying in school longer and achieving better results,” he said.

“However, we know there is more to be done to keep the momentum going.

“That is why it’s important that we continue providing access to Year 11 and 12 education so that all our young people can complete their education to Year 12.”

EARLIER: TASMANIA’S Year 12 retention rate increased by 1 per cent between 2010 and 2017, lagging most of the nation, with new figures showing 71.5 per cent of the state’s students appear to continue from high school to college.

The growth was the worst of all states in Australia and comes despite an increased focus on improving Year 12 retention in Tasmania.

Only the ACT, where last year’s data shows 92.1 per cent of students had gone from Year 10 to Year 12, had slower growth between 2010 and 2017.

The Northern Territory gained ground on Tasmania in the same period and in 2017 had a retention rate of 70.2 per cent.

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Peter Underwood Centre for Educational Attainment director Natalie Brown urged caution on the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority data, noting that because it lagged it did not account for recent measures Tasmania had taken to improve retention rates.

Peter Underwood Centre for Educational Attainment director Natalie Brown has urged caution on the new figures. Picture: SARAH MATRAY

This included changes to the Education Act requiring students to stay in school until they were 18, had completed Year 12 or had a Certificate III qualification, and a broader rollout of extension schools, she said.

“What we’re seeing is enrolment numbers in those extension schools is increasing,” Professor Brown said.

“What we would hopefully be seeing if we could look at the latest data that we would be seeing an increase in those numbers.”

The authority’s data, released this year in the National Report on Schooling in Australia, also showed 54.5 per cent of Tasmania’s indigenous students maintained their enrolment from Year 10 to Year 12. That represented the nation’s third largest gap.

Nationally, South Australia rose from a retention rate of 80.6 per cent to 91.7 per cent between 2010 and 2017, Western Australia 76.5 per cent to 83.1 per cent and Queensland 82.1 per cent to 87.8 per cent.

The Tasmanian Government did not respond to request for comment.

Education Minister Jeremy Rockliff this year pledged to ensure Tasmania’s retention rates between Years 10 and 12 surpassed the national average by 2022, which last year was 83.3 per cent, up from 78.5 per cent in 2010.

Prof Brown said the authority’s data did not include part-time enrolments nor enrolments of people aged 19 to 24.