4224.0 - Education and Training in Australia, 1998  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 02/02/1999  Ceased
   Page tools: Print Print Page Print all pages in this productPrint All

Comprehensive ABS education statistics compendium released


A comprehensive profile of education and training in Australia was released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, as the third edition of the publication Education and Training in Australia.

The information and commentary in this compendium brings together a wide range of ABS and non-ABS statistics covering aspects of schooling, vocational education and training, higher education, and training providers. It contains details about the educational attainment of Australians and their related labour market outcomes; the participants and providers of education/training; and the human and financial resources involved in the delivery of education/training.

Data are provided for the most recent period for which they are available. Findings reported in this latest edition include:
  • In 1997, 5.3 million people aged 15 to 64 years participated in some form of education and training, and 40% held a post-school qualification;
  • Approximately 3.2 million students received school education in 1997, 59% at the primary level and 41% at secondary level;
  • Some 37% of school students aged 15 years and over were in the labour force in 1997, 79% of whom were employed part-time;
  • There were 1.5 million vocational education and training clients (students) in 1997, with males outnumbering females (733,800 and 676,700 respectively);
  • There were 659,000 students enrolled in undergraduate and post-graduate higher education courses in 1997;
  • Overall, 580,000 persons (7% of all employed persons) worked in the Education industry in 1997;
  • During the September quarter of 1996, 18% of employers provided structured training to their employees, spending $1,179 million on such activities;
  • In 1996-97, total outlays on education amounted to $29 billion; and
  • Public funding of government school education was $11 billion in 1995-96, with the average expenditure per student being $6100 in secondary schools and $4400 in primary schools.


Education and Training in Australia, 1998 (cat. no. 4224.0) is available from ABS Bookshops. Main features from the publication are available from this site.