Goal 6: Aboriginal learners are engaged at school

Overview

Measures under Goal 6 have varied in performance

In 2024, the apparent retention rate for Aboriginal students in Years 10 to 12 remained low at 57 per cent.

In 2023, the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) Vocational Major (VM) and Victorian Pathways Certificate (VPC) were introduced as part of significant reforms to improve vocational and applied learning in schools. Students mid-way through the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) were able to complete their certificate during the year before it was phased out. In 2023, 619 students completed the VCE, VCAL, VCE VM and VET (Vocational Education Training) in Schools certificate.

In 2024, the data set was updated to reflect completion of the VCE, VCE VM and VPC only, starting a new time series for year 12 completion. In 2024, 636 Aboriginal students completed the VCE, VCE VM and VPC.

Goal 6 directly aligns with the following Closing the Gap Outcome and Target

Outcome 5: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students achieve their full learning potential.

• Target 5: By 2031, 96 per cent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (aged 20-24) attain a Year 12 or equivalent qualification.

Closing the Gap - How Victoria is tracking nationally

Outcome 5: In 2021, 68.1 per cent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 20–24 years had attained Year 12 or equivalent qualification across Australia, compared to 72.6 per cent in Victoria. Nationally, based on progress from the baseline, the target shows improvement but is not on track to be met. In Victoria, there has been some improvement.

6.1 Increase Year 12 or equivalent attainment

Measure 6.1.2 Apparent retention rates for students in Years 10 to 12

Aboriginal students are less likely to remain in school from Year 10 through to Year 12 than non-Aboriginal students. In 2024, the apparent retention rate for Aboriginal students was 57 per cent. While this rate has remained stable since 2023, it has decreased by 8.7 percentage points compared to a decade prior in 2015 when the apparent retention rate was 65.7 per cent, the highest figure recorded between 2010 and 2024. Comparatively, in 2024, the apparent retention rate for non-Aboriginal students was 78.7 per cent. This is a slight increase by 2.4 percentage points since 2023, and a decrease by 2.8 percentage points compared to 2015. The highest apparent retention rate recorded for non-Aboriginal students was 82.1 per cent in 2016.

Measure 6.1.3 Number of Aboriginal students who complete the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE), including VCE Vocational Major and Victorian Pathways Certificate

In 2024, 636 Aboriginal students completed VCE, VCE Vocational Major (VM), or the Victorian Pathways Certificate. Over the long term, Aboriginal completion of Year 12 and equivalents has remained relatively steady, averaging around 609 completions over the past ten years, with a high point of 688 completions in 2019. This small decline has coincided with a population increase for late Aboriginal teens aged 10 to 19. This decline has also coincided with decreases in the apparent retention rates of students in Years 10 to 12.

Changes in completions might be affected by several factors, including the implementation of the Senior Secondary Pathways Reform across all local Victorian government senior secondary schools. This suite of reform initiatives has aimed to provide more opportunities for students to pursue their strengths and interests, with an increased number of students participating in VET and gaining valuable workplace skills while completing their Year 12 certificate.

Measure 6.1.3 previously reported on the ‘Number of Aboriginal students who complete the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE), Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) or VET (Vocational Education Training) in Schools certificate’. The VCE Vocational Major (which includes VET studies) and the Victorian Pathways Certificate were introduced in 2023 to provide improved pathways, VET opportunities, and work-related learning to support students to transition to successful post-school destinations.

This is a new measure to reflect the number of Aboriginal students who completed a foundation or senior secondary certificate in 2024 and is not able to be compared to Measure 6.1.3 from previous years (2011 – 2023). The Senior Secondary Pathways Reform is being implemented to improve vocational and applied learning in senior secondary schooling, and VCAL is no longer available in schools. The VCE Vocational Major (which includes VET studies) and the Victorian Pathways Certificate were introduced in 2023 to provide improved pathways, VET opportunities, and studies for students to develop the literacy, numeracy, work-related and personal skills to transition to successful post-school destinations.

In this report, Measure 6.1.3 has been renamed to the ‘Number of Aboriginal students who complete the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE), including VCE Vocational Major and Victorian Pathways Certificate’. This is a significant change to Measure 6.1.3 and 2024 data is not comparable to data reported in previous years (2011 – 2023).