Closing the Gap targets: key findings and implications

Target

The target associated with Outcome 6 of the 2020 National Agreement is to increase the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 25–34 who have completed a tertiary qualification (Certificate III and higher) to 70% by 2031.

Background

Higher education and training have substantial benefits for the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (First Nations) people, their families and communities.

As the level of education for First Nations people increases from secondary schooling to vocational education to a tertiary degree, the gap in employment between First Nations and non-Indigenous Australians narrows.

The number of university enrolments and higher education completions by First Nations people has risen over time. Despite these increases, First Nations people are still considerably under-represented in universities, comprising 1.9% of the domestic higher education student population, compared with 3.3% of the total Australian population.

The history of colonialism, trauma and transmission of intergenerational educational disadvantage – combined with differences in the value systems that inform First Nations ways of knowing and being, and those that underlie the Western education system – together with everyday and institutional experiences of racism, heavily affect educational outcomes among First Nations people.

Current status

In the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics’ (ABS’s) Census of Population and Housing (Census), 47% of around 108,000 First Nations people aged 25–34 had completed tertiary education (Australian Qualifications Framework [AQF] Certificate III or above). This proportion has been steadily rising over the last 2 decades. Despite the increase, this target measure is below the projected 2021 value on the trajectory to meet the target by 2031.

Among the 50,690 First Nations people aged 25–34 who have completed a Certificate III and above:

• about 63% hold a Certificate III or IV
• 15.6% hold a Diploma/Advanced Diploma
• 16.5% hold a Bachelor degree
• 2.3% hold a Graduate Diploma
• 2.9% hold a postgraduate degree.

New South Wales, Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory not only have the highest proportion of First Nations people aged 25–34 with a tertiary education but also recorded the largest percentage point increase over time. The Northern Territory has recorded the lowest proportion and the lowest increase over time.

Major cities and socioeconomically less disadvantaged areas have rates at or above the 2021 national trajectory point. The proportion of First Nations people aged 25–34 with a tertiary education in Remote and very remote areas – and in socioeconomically more disadvantaged areas – is still very low.

Among First Nations people aged 25–34, about 51% of women had completed a tertiary education in 2021 compared with 43% of men.

Nationally, the number and share of First Nations students among domestic students starting a Bachelor degree has increased over time, while their rate of first-year attrition has been decreasing.

The proportion of First Nations students among Vocational, Education and Training (VET) enrolments grew from 4.9% in 2016 to 6.3% in 2019 but dropped to 5.5–5.6% in the 2 years that followed. In 2020, the number of First Nations VET enrolments was the lowest it had been in 6 years.

Between 2016 and 2019, the rate of VET completions among First Nations students was on the rise in Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory, but was falling in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, despite the Australian Capital Territory’s having the highest rates of completion among all states and territories between 2016 and 2018.

Key findings

The results of logistic regression show that, controlling for other demographic and individual level characteristics, factors statistically significantly associated with having completed a tertiary education among First Nations people are:

• household income
• area-level socioeconomic disadvantage
• state-level differences.

Equivalised household income ranked as the most important variable explaining completion of a tertiary education among First Nations people.

Qualitative studies suggest that experiences of racism during tertiary education are negatively associated with students’ sense of a supportive learning environment and general learning outcomes, general developmental outcomes and overall satisfaction.

Among the most common reasons for considering leaving an educational institution are difficulties with study/life balance and workload; family responsibilities, such as family crises and supporting family members or younger children; and ill-health and death in extended families.

Strategies for improvement

Institutional support has been identified as the most crucial contributor to the success of First Nations students in higher education. Helping students to complete their degrees can take various forms, namely:

• valuing Indigeneity, particularly valuing First Nations people at the institution
• having First Nations and non-Indigenous academics who are knowledgeable about First Nations culture and history and maintaining a respectful First Nations culture throughout the university
• including First Nations culture in the curriculum
• having supportive First Nations or non-Indigenous academics and First Nations mentors
• encouraging more informal interactions with university staff; recognising the importance of family commitments and being flexible in enabling these to be met
• delivering blended courses, meaning students can pursue their studies from their home communities. However, online delivery of course material may disadvantage First Nations students if internet connections are slow and unreliable in remote areas.

Policy and initiatives aimed at improving education pathways for First Nations young adults must focus on the factors affecting the educational gap, such as the cost of higher education, non-completion of schooling, low academic achievement, access to information, and educational aspirations – as well as factors affecting retention and completion.

It is important to support First Nations youth throughout their secondary schooling for successful post-school transition, particularly in remote areas.  

Expanding and developing training and support services delivered by local First Nations organisations and trainers could provide the necessary cultural settings and learning styles for successful educational outcomes among First Nations students.