Education and learning

Outcome: People with disability achieve their full potential through education and learning

Why is this outcome area important?

Education, both formal and informal, is critical to developing skills and to providing pathways for people with disability to find fulfilling employment and gain financial independence. It also enhances general wellbeing and leads to enriched lives (Australia’s Disability Strategy 2021–2031).

The Disability Standards for Education 2005 clarify the obligations of education and training providers; they seek to ensure that students with disability can access and participate in education on the same basis as students without disability (Department of Education 2021).

Despite educational reforms over the last decade, marked gaps remain for students with disability in attaining Year 12 or equivalent, VET qualifications, and participation in university studies (Australia’s Disability Strategy 2021–2031). Preschool education is also an area requiring attention.

What are the policy priorities?

  1. Participation in early childhood education: Children with disability can access and participate in high-quality early childhood education and care.
  2. Participation in school education: Build capability in the delivery of inclusive education to improve educational outcomes for school students with disability.
  3. Participation in tertiary education: Improve pathways and accessibility to further education and training for people with disability.
  4. Participation in informal education (life skills): People with disability have increased opportunities to participate in accessible and inclusive lifelong learning.

Launch measures

Data for 3 of the 4 policy priorities under this outcome area are available for 3 system measures and 4 population measures (Table 6.1). For future measures requiring development, see Future measures.

Table 6.1: Education and learning reference guide
Policy priority Launch measure Baseline time point Baseline value Latest time point Latest value Change since baseline Progress status

Participation in early childhood education

Proportion of children enrolled in a preschool program in the year before full-time schooling (YBFS) who have disability, compared with proportion of children aged 4 to 5 years who have disability in the community‡ (system measure)

2020

6.0%
preschool

7.6%
community

n.a.

n.a.

n.a.

n.a.

Participation in school education

Proportion of people with disability who completed Year 10‡ (or equivalent) (population measure)

2018

85.5%

n.a.

n.a.

n.a.

n.a.

Participation in school education

Proportion of people with disability who completed Year 12‡ (or equivalent) (population measure)

2018

45.5%

n.a.

n.a.

n.a.

n.a.

Participation in tertiary education

Proportion of VET students with disability (aged 15–64) (system measure)

2021

4.4%

n.a.

n.a.

n.a.

n.a.

Participation in tertiary education

Proportion of undergraduate higher education students with disability (system measure)

2020

8.1%

n.a.

n.a.

n.a.

n.a.

Participation in tertiary education

Qualification completion rate for VET students aged 15–64 with disability, compared with students without disability (Population measure)

Cohort
2017–2021

40.0%
with disability

46%
without disability

n.a.

n.a.

n.a.

n.a.

Participation in tertiary education

Proportion of students with disability who complete a higher education qualification (population measure)

Cohort
2015–2020

50.6%

n.a.

n.a.

n.a.

n.a.

‡ Measures where wording has been revised to reflect available data more accurately or clarify the measure’s intent. See relevant measure section below for more information.

Pre-baseline data. Will be revised with baseline data for 2021 in the 2023 annual progress report.

n.a. – not available at this time.

References

Australia’s Disability Strategy 2021–2031 (2021), Department of Social Services, Australian Government, accessed 16 June 2022.

Department of Education (2021) Disability Standards for Education 2005, Department of Education website, Australian Government, accessed 2 August 2022.

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