Australian Education: 2021 Report

Below is our report on the market for 2021 and beyond.

Australian Teaching Insights and Predictions for 2021

1. Shift From Private to Government Schools

In 2019, Government schools were by far the most popular, with the percentage of student enrolments at 65%. Catholic schools saw 20% of the year’s new student intake and Independent schools saw 15%. Overall, just over 40% of secondary school children and almost 30% of primary school children attend a private school. Since 2010 the popularity of Government schools has increased every year. However, Covid-19 could accelerate the shift away from private schooling.

The job losses, economic slowdown and financial pressures of Covid-190 have seen many families unable to afford private tuition. Although private school tuition fees vary across the country, educating the average Year 12 day student will cost anywhere between $18,000 and $41,000 at an established metropolitan – excluding boarding fees. Since 2019, fees have increased by up to 6% in some areas, with schools in Melbourne and Sydney reporting some of the highest costs.

From 2021 through to the next term in 2021, state Principals are predicting an increase in student enrolments. Although some private establishments have introduced fee cuts and deferrals, a growing number of parents are set to see their choices limited due to financial constraints. President of the Victorian Association of State Secondary Principals, Sue Bell, expects some private pupils to transfer to their local government schools: ‘We are expecting to see an increase in these as the financial constraints hit.’

The absence of open days and tours due to shutdowns across the country has further distanced private schools from their potential student intake, and enforced parent homeschooling has delayed applications from overstretched parents. With a global recession also on the cards, the shift towards Government education could continue to grow for the next few years, meaning Principals and staff will have an even greater battle to attract parents and students.

2. Teacher Shortage

Although skills shortages have been growing across industries and continents, the Australian education system will be disproportionately affected in the coming years. By 2025 there will be an urgent shortage of 200,000 teachers across Australia.

This shortage is set to accompany the challenge of increasing class sizes: by 2031 the country’s student population will have skyrocketed by 21%. With 4million children and young people currently in education, the growth will mean an extra 840,000 pupils in need of support. The average student to teaching staff ratio for Australasian schools is 13-7: as education is proven to decline in quality as class sizes rise, teaching staff face being overstretched and under-resourced.

The next five years will see retention high on the list of priorities for Principals across Government, Catholic and Independent establishments. One in five teachers leave education completely after just the first two years of their career, and four in 10 choose to leave after five years. Professionals cite a lack of support, behaviour management and high stress levels as the reasons behind their departures. Heads will need to find ways to increase support for existing staff, whilst juggling demand for new recruits.

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3. Intervention & Support for Disadvantaged Students

A United Nations report evidences that extended school closures around the world have caused disproportionate, long-term effects on disadvantaged students, particularly girls. Long after lockdown, both the attendance and attainment of female teenagers is likely to reduce compared to their male peers, and higher drop-out rates for girls will follow. 

Vulnerable children will remain likely to struggle through the rest of their education even when back in the classroom. Children who routinely suffer neglect or whose parents work longer hours in jobs away from home will have benefited from fewer hours of homeschooling and will require greater assistance to catch up. Whilst most schools in Victoria reported a 4% absence rate during the first period of remote learning, this more than doubled to 10% for disadvantaged students in Victoria.

Intervention and support for disadvantaged children will become a crucial strategy for Principals and teaching staff to improve attendance, attainment and pupil wellbeing in the coming years.

4. Increasingly Diverse Classrooms

In the next five years, the make-up of student populations will see classrooms become increasingly diverse, both regarding the backgrounds of children and young people and their needs and abilities. 

Australian lower secondary schools and classrooms are reporting growing numbers of disadvantaged students and those with special needs. The country is increasingly home to more children from international backgrounds, including those for whom English is a second language. 

In a recent report assessing the education systems of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Australasia scored higher than the average recorded, and the majority of individual reports from 36 other member states, across the following metrics:

• Socioeconomic Disadvantage – In one in four schools, more than 30% of students come from socioeconomically disadvantaged homes
• Students with Disabilities or Additional Needs – In 36% of schools, more than 1 in 10 students have special needs
• Language Barriers – In 36% of schools, more than 1 in 10 students are non-native speakers
• International Background – In one in three schools, more than 10% of students are immigrants or with migrant background
• Refugee Population – In 62% of schools, at least 1 in 100 students are refugees.

Whilst almost one in five of the country’s Principals report a shortage of teachers with competence in supporting children with special needs, teaching staff are increasingly rising to the challenge and becoming ever more invested in assisting diverse pupils. TALIS shows that participation in professional development in teaching students with special needs increased by 25% between 2013 and 2018, while participation in professional development for teaching in multilingual settings increased by 9% over the same time period.

The OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey reports that in 2020, ‘A high proportion of Australian teachers and principals report that their schools implement policies and practices related to equity and diversity, and teachers generally feel confident they are able to provide the appropriate leadership in multicultural classes.’

In addition, a high proportion of Australian schools have additional supports in place specifically for socioeconomically disadvantaged students. Australia is outranking the rest of the globe when it comes to helping children from lower income families: 91% of schools in Australia have implemented additional support specifically for socioeconomically disadvantaged students, compared to an 80% average across the OECD. 

By 2025, local teaching staff will see growing and rapidly changing responsibilities, and regular development and constant support will be required to ensure Australia’s teachers can meet the needs of diverse pupils.

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