'I didn't see the point': why more Aussie students are leaving school early

The Advertiser

13-06-2025

Riley Valentine has never regretted leaving school early.
She now works full time in a childcare centre looking after and educating three- and four-year-olds, something she knew from early high school was her career path.
Ms Valentine, 21, left school at the end of year 11 and got her qualifications at TAFE in Sydney.
"Me sitting through things that don't interest me at all - I didn't see the point to follow through if I knew what I wanted to do," she said.
"It was easier access [than university] in the way that I could get in and do it earlier."
Ms Valentine is not alone.
More than 20 per cent of all Australian students drop out before the end of year 12 - and the rate is higher at government schools where one in four don't finish.
The proportion of children completing high school has been steadily declining in Australia over the past 10 years, with some variation, according to the latest Productivity Commission Report on Government Services.
In 2017, the retention rate for full time students in years 10 to 12 was 83.3 per cent. By 2024, that had dropped to 79.9 per cent.
The same year the retention rate at public schools was 74.3 per cent, down from 79.8 per cent seven years earlier, although a slight increase since 2023.
The head of research and advocacy at The Smith Family, Anne Hampshire, said there were two groups of early leavers and the first had positive post-school experiences, with a clear career pathway through apprenticeships and other vocational training.
The second group was more cause for concern.
"What's happening to them is they're being pushed out of school, in inverted commas, for a range of reasons.
"And that could be they've had poor literacy and numeracy, they're not doing very well academically; they start to fall behind, they can't catch up," she said.
They could even be bullied, have mental health problems, complex home lives - or a combination of these.
"Some of them, they can't see the purpose in completing year 12," Ms Hampshire said.
"And so, for them, they end up drifting out of school by these much more negative factors."
Ms Hampshire said there was a strong link between finishing year 12 and positive work and study outcomes post-school.
"Their engagement in post-school employment, education, training is much more precarious and uncertain, which is not good for them individually, but it's also not good for us as a nation," she said.
Having ready access to dedicated careers advice in school was increasingly important as the skills needed for jobs became more sophisticated in a rapidly-changing, knowledge-based economy.
"Many young people across the country aren't getting that high quality career support," Ms Hampshire said.
"They might have one careers advisor for a large school of 1200 students."
Efforts to lift literacy and numeracy levels at a primary school level were also crucial after the latest NAPLAN results showed about one in three students fell short of basic standards.
And Ms Hampshire said children from poorer backgrounds and regional areas needed additional assistance to stay in school.
But for Riley Valentine, there are no regrets - and even her parents eventually warmed to the idea of her quitting school in favour of TAFE.
"At the start, because I mentioned it very early, they weren't on board with it," Ms Valentine said.
"But later down the track, I think they realised how much I actually didn't belong in school, or they realised how much I wanted to do other things."
Riley Valentine has never regretted leaving school early.
She now works full time in a childcare centre looking after and educating three- and four-year-olds, something she knew from early high school was her career path.
Ms Valentine, 21, left school at the end of year 11 and got her qualifications at TAFE in Sydney.
"Me sitting through things that don't interest me at all - I didn't see the point to follow through if I knew what I wanted to do," she said.
"It was easier access [than university] in the way that I could get in and do it earlier."
Ms Valentine is not alone.
More than 20 per cent of all Australian students drop out before the end of year 12 - and the rate is higher at government schools where one in four don't finish.
The proportion of children completing high school has been steadily declining in Australia over the past 10 years, with some variation, according to the latest Productivity Commission Report on Government Services.
In 2017, the retention rate for full time students in years 10 to 12 was 83.3 per cent. By 2024, that had dropped to 79.9 per cent.
The same year the retention rate at public schools was 74.3 per cent, down from 79.8 per cent seven years earlier, although a slight increase since 2023.
The head of research and advocacy at The Smith Family, Anne Hampshire, said there were two groups of early leavers and the first had positive post-school experiences, with a clear career pathway through apprenticeships and other vocational training.
The second group was more cause for concern.
"What's happening to them is they're being pushed out of school, in inverted commas, for a range of reasons.
"And that could be they've had poor literacy and numeracy, they're not doing very well academically; they start to fall behind, they can't catch up," she said.
They could even be bullied, have mental health problems, complex home lives - or a combination of these.
"Some of them, they can't see the purpose in completing year 12," Ms Hampshire said.
"And so, for them, they end up drifting out of school by these much more negative factors."
Ms Hampshire said there was a strong link between finishing year 12 and positive work and study outcomes post-school.
"Their engagement in post-school employment, education, training is much more precarious and uncertain, which is not good for them individually, but it's also not good for us as a nation," she said.
Having ready access to dedicated careers advice in school was increasingly important as the skills needed for jobs became more sophisticated in a rapidly-changing, knowledge-based economy.
"Many young people across the country aren't getting that high quality career support," Ms Hampshire said.
"They might have one careers advisor for a large school of 1200 students."
Efforts to lift literacy and numeracy levels at a primary school level were also crucial after the latest NAPLAN results showed about one in three students fell short of basic standards.
And Ms Hampshire said children from poorer backgrounds and regional areas needed additional assistance to stay in school.
But for Riley Valentine, there are no regrets - and even her parents eventually warmed to the idea of her quitting school in favour of TAFE.
"At the start, because I mentioned it very early, they weren't on board with it," Ms Valentine said.
"But later down the track, I think they realised how much I actually didn't belong in school, or they realised how much I wanted to do other things."
Riley Valentine has never regretted leaving school early.
She now works full time in a childcare centre looking after and educating three- and four-year-olds, something she knew from early high school was her career path.
Ms Valentine, 21, left school at the end of year 11 and got her qualifications at TAFE in Sydney.
"Me sitting through things that don't interest me at all - I didn't see the point to follow through if I knew what I wanted to do," she said.
"It was easier access [than university] in the way that I could get in and do it earlier."
Ms Valentine is not alone.
More than 20 per cent of all Australian students drop out before the end of year 12 - and the rate is higher at government schools where one in four don't finish.
The proportion of children completing high school has been steadily declining in Australia over the past 10 years, with some variation, according to the latest Productivity Commission Report on Government Services.
In 2017, the retention rate for full time students in years 10 to 12 was 83.3 per cent. By 2024, that had dropped to 79.9 per cent.
The same year the retention rate at public schools was 74.3 per cent, down from 79.8 per cent seven years earlier, although a slight increase since 2023.
The head of research and advocacy at The Smith Family, Anne Hampshire, said there were two groups of early leavers and the first had positive post-school experiences, with a clear career pathway through apprenticeships and other vocational training.
The second group was more cause for concern.
"What's happening to them is they're being pushed out of school, in inverted commas, for a range of reasons.
"And that could be they've had poor literacy and numeracy, they're not doing very well academically; they start to fall behind, they can't catch up," she said.
They could even be bullied, have mental health problems, complex home lives - or a combination of these.
"Some of them, they can't see the purpose in completing year 12," Ms Hampshire said.
"And so, for them, they end up drifting out of school by these much more negative factors."
Ms Hampshire said there was a strong link between finishing year 12 and positive work and study outcomes post-school.
"Their engagement in post-school employment, education, training is much more precarious and uncertain, which is not good for them individually, but it's also not good for us as a nation," she said.
Having ready access to dedicated careers advice in school was increasingly important as the skills needed for jobs became more sophisticated in a rapidly-changing, knowledge-based economy.
"Many young people across the country aren't getting that high quality career support," Ms Hampshire said.
"They might have one careers advisor for a large school of 1200 students."
Efforts to lift literacy and numeracy levels at a primary school level were also crucial after the latest NAPLAN results showed about one in three students fell short of basic standards.
And Ms Hampshire said children from poorer backgrounds and regional areas needed additional assistance to stay in school.
But for Riley Valentine, there are no regrets - and even her parents eventually warmed to the idea of her quitting school in favour of TAFE.
"At the start, because I mentioned it very early, they weren't on board with it," Ms Valentine said.
"But later down the track, I think they realised how much I actually didn't belong in school, or they realised how much I wanted to do other things."
Riley Valentine has never regretted leaving school early.
She now works full time in a childcare centre looking after and educating three- and four-year-olds, something she knew from early high school was her career path.
Ms Valentine, 21, left school at the end of year 11 and got her qualifications at TAFE in Sydney.
"Me sitting through things that don't interest me at all - I didn't see the point to follow through if I knew what I wanted to do," she said.
"It was easier access [than university] in the way that I could get in and do it earlier."
Ms Valentine is not alone.
More than 20 per cent of all Australian students drop out before the end of year 12 - and the rate is higher at government schools where one in four don't finish.
The proportion of children completing high school has been steadily declining in Australia over the past 10 years, with some variation, according to the latest Productivity Commission Report on Government Services.
In 2017, the retention rate for full time students in years 10 to 12 was 83.3 per cent. By 2024, that had dropped to 79.9 per cent.
The same year the retention rate at public schools was 74.3 per cent, down from 79.8 per cent seven years earlier, although a slight increase since 2023.
The head of research and advocacy at The Smith Family, Anne Hampshire, said there were two groups of early leavers and the first had positive post-school experiences, with a clear career pathway through apprenticeships and other vocational training.
The second group was more cause for concern.
"What's happening to them is they're being pushed out of school, in inverted commas, for a range of reasons.
"And that could be they've had poor literacy and numeracy, they're not doing very well academically; they start to fall behind, they can't catch up," she said.
They could even be bullied, have mental health problems, complex home lives - or a combination of these.
"Some of them, they can't see the purpose in completing year 12," Ms Hampshire said.
"And so, for them, they end up drifting out of school by these much more negative factors."
Ms Hampshire said there was a strong link between finishing year 12 and positive work and study outcomes post-school.
"Their engagement in post-school employment, education, training is much more precarious and uncertain, which is not good for them individually, but it's also not good for us as a nation," she said.
Having ready access to dedicated careers advice in school was increasingly important as the skills needed for jobs became more sophisticated in a rapidly-changing, knowledge-based economy.
"Many young people across the country aren't getting that high quality career support," Ms Hampshire said.
"They might have one careers advisor for a large school of 1200 students."
Efforts to lift literacy and numeracy levels at a primary school level were also crucial after the latest NAPLAN results showed about one in three students fell short of basic standards.
And Ms Hampshire said children from poorer backgrounds and regional areas needed additional assistance to stay in school.
But for Riley Valentine, there are no regrets - and even her parents eventually warmed to the idea of her quitting school in favour of TAFE.
"At the start, because I mentioned it very early, they weren't on board with it," Ms Valentine said.
"But later down the track, I think they realised how much I actually didn't belong in school, or they realised how much I wanted to do other things."