High school retention rates highest in a decade: Minister

28/1/05
Education and Training Minister Alan Carpenter has said today's report in The West Australian, claiming high school retention rates had fallen, was untrue.
Mr Carpenter said in reality, the Year 12 student retention rates in 2004 in Government schools were the highest in a decade. (See graph below.)
The Minister said he had supplied the newspaper with information yesterday that explained why the statistics used by The West Australian for the basis of the story did not present an accurate picture of Western Australian retention rates.
"Despite this explanation, The West Australian still ran the story with the false headline 'WA's high school retention rates fall'," Mr Carpenter said.
The Minister said the figures used in the report did not include 1,500 students at Tuart and Canning senior colleges.
"After 2002, students at these colleges were excluded from the school retention statistics as a result of a new categorisation process required by a Commonwealth and State agreement," he said.
"When students at the senior colleges were included in the retention rate statistics, the 2002 Year 10 to12 retention rate was 69.7 per cent.
"In 2003, students at the senior colleges were no longer included in the counting process, as the colleges were reclassified as training institutions rather than schools.
"This accounted for approximately 1,500 students, bringing the Year 10 to 12 retention rate in 2003 down to 64.8 per cent.
"In 2004, this figure was 1,700 students and if they were factored back in, 2004 Year 10 to 12 retention rates would be 71 per cent.
"Student retention rates were in the doldrums for most of the 1990s, dropping from a high of 65.1 per cent in 1993 to a low of 58.2 per cent in 1996.
"In 2001, the retention rate was 60 per cent.
"In 2002 this increased to 62.6 per cent and 63 per cent in 2004.
"WA's retention rates are at their highest rate in a decade.
"Everyone in education in WA knows that basic fact."
Minister's office: 9213 6800