School leavers with little or no attainment
In 2007, less than 5 percent of New Zealand students left school with little or no formal attainment, representing a 71 percent decrease from 2001, with each ethnic group having improved at a similar rate.
Date Updated: July 2008
Indicator Description
Percentage of school leavers with little or no formal attainment.
What We Have Found
In 2007, less than 5 percent of New Zealand students left school with little or no formal attainment, representing a 71 percent decrease from 2001, with each ethnic group having improved at a similar rate.
Why This Is Important
The success of an education system is manifested in, among other things, the success of individuals in finding sustainable employment. A formal school qualification is a measure of the extent to which young adults have completed a basic prerequisite for higher education and training, or many entry-level jobs.
People with no qualifications have unemployment rates far exceeding those with qualifications. In New Zealand on average between 2002 and 2007, people having no qualifications had an unemployment rate over 40% higher than those whose highest qualification was a school qualification.
How We Are Going
In 2007, 4.9% of all school leavers left school with little or no formal attainment. This represents a 71% decrease from 2001, when the percentage of all school leavers who left school with little or no formal attainment was 17.0%. This reduction can be partly attributed to the decrease in the rate of early leaving exemptions which halved between 2006 and 2007. Some of these school leavers are likely to continue their learning through tertiary education providers in preference to pursuing secondary school qualifications. However, a number will attempt to become part of the workforce – something that may be difficult with a lack of qualifications.
Percentage of school leavers with little or no formal attainment, by ethnic group (1993 to 2007)
Notes:
- 1993-2001: No formal attainment or less than 12 credits at National Certificate.
- 2002-2004: No formal attainment or 1-13 credits at NCEA level 1.
- 2005-2006: No formal attainment or 1-13 credits at any NCEA level.
Male students were 10% more likely to leave school with little or no formal attainment than female students in 2007. However, this gap has narrowed from 2001-2003 when the male rate was over 30% higher than the female rate.
Māori students have the largest proportion of school leavers with little or no formal attainment. In 2007, the proportion of Māori students leaving school with little or no formal attainment (10.1%) was 2.9 times higher than the corresponding percentage for European/Pākehā students (3.5%), and 60% higher than that for Pasifika (6.3%).
The reductions in the proportions of school leavers with little or no formal attainment have been very similar for all ethnic groups since 2001.
Percentage of school leavers with little or no formal attainment, by ethnic group and school quintile (2007)
There is a clear correlation between the socio-economic mix of the school the student attended and the percentage of school leavers with little or no formal attainment. Schools in the lowest quintile (deciles 1 and 2) draw their students from communities with the highest degree of socio-economic disadvantage. Students from these schools are 5.7 times more likely to leave school with little or no formal attainment than students in the highest quintile (deciles 9 and 10), and more than twice as likely to leave school with little or no formal attainment than students in the middle quintile (deciles 5 and 6).
Where To Find Out More
To obtain other information about school leavers consider indicators:
- School leavers with NCEA Level 1 or above
- School leavers with NCEA Level 2 or above
- School leavers with a university entrance standard
To obtain more information on labour force status and incomes, the following indicators should be investigated:
The Ministry of Education has established an Iterative Best Evidence Synthesis Programme to systematically identify, evaluate, analyse, synthesise and make accessible, relevant evidence linked to a range of learner outcomes. Evidence about what works for this indicator can be found in:
- Quality Teaching for Diverse Students in Schooling: Best Evidence Synthesis
- Effective Pedagogy in Mathematics/Pangarau: Best Evidence Synthesis Iteration
References
Alton-Lee, A. (2003). Quality Teaching for Diverse Students in Schooling: Best Evidence Synthesis. Wellington, Ministry of Education.
Anthony, G., and Walshaw, M. (2007). Effective Pedagogy in Mathematics/Pangarau: Best Evidence Synthesis Iteration. Wellington: Ministry of Education.OECD (2007). Education at a Glance: OECD indicators 2007. Paris, OECD.