Australian Schools: What the data tells us

Simon Breakspear
18 March 2025

Over the past decade, school attendance rates in Australia have steadily declined, raising serious concerns about student engagement and long-term learning outcomes.

📊 THE DATA

A Clear Downward Trend

🔹 2015: 92.6% national attendance rate (Years 1–10)
🔹 2019: 91.4%
🔹 2022: 86.5% (COVID-19 impact)
🔹 2023: 88.6% (partial recovery)
🔹 2024: 88.3% (declining again)

📍 Attendance Gaps  (2024)
Major cities: 89.2% Regional areas: 84.7% Remote areas: 81.0% Very remote areas: 65.8%
📖 Source: Report on Government Services 2025, Productivity Commission, p. 60 . Read it here >

In 2024, 40% of Australian students missed at least 10% of school days, equating to approximately 1.6 million children effectively skipping a month’s worth of schooling.
📖 Source: School Attendance Rates Slip as More Kids Skip Class,” The Australian, 2024. Read it here >

📌 WHAT CAN WE DO?

Actionable Research & Strategies

To address this challenge, here are three evidence-backed reports with actionable solutions:

1️⃣ Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO): “School Attendance: New Insights from AERO”
🔹 Investigates factors influencing school attendance in Australia and suggests evidence-based interventions.
📖 Read it here: School Attendance: New Insights from AERO 

2️⃣ NSW Department of Education (CESE): “Understanding Attendance” (2024)
🔹 Examines drivers of school attendance, barriers to engagement, and best-practice approaches for improvement.
📖 Read it here: Understanding Attendance – NSW CESE

3️⃣ Education Endowment Foundation (EEF): “Supporting School Attendance”
🔹 Provides evidence-based guidance for school leaders to improve student attendance, focusing on parental engagement and school culture.
📖 Read it here: Supporting School Attendance – EEF