School leavers entering tertiary education

Indicator Description

Percentage of school leavers entering tertiary education.

What We Have Found

The percentage of 2005 school leavers transitioning directly to tertiary education was 58%, compared to 47% for 1998 school leavers, an overall increase of 23%.

Why This Is Important

The tertiary education sector is a diverse sector. Its scope ranges from informal non-assessed community courses in schools through to undergraduate degrees and advanced research-based postgraduate degrees. It provides pathways for a diverse range of learners, from school leavers to workers, the unemployed to students from overseas, and to those pursuing an interest, hobby or more social interaction. This indicator focuses on recent school leavers.

New enrolments in tertiary education are indicators of the extent to which New Zealanders are developing the skills needed for a modern knowledge economy. To achieve this goal, clear pathways to assist young people making the direct transition from school to tertiary level study must be developed and maintained.

How We Are Going

The percentage of school leavers transitioning directly to tertiary education grew from 47.3% for 1998 school leavers to 58.0% for those in 2005, an overall increase of 23%.

Twelve percent more school leavers obtained a university entrance standard qualification in 2005 compared to school leavers in 1998. However, the proportion of school leavers transitioning directly to degree level study has remained relatively stable over this period, at around 23%.

Percentage of school leavers making a direct transition to tertiary education, by award level and year left school (1998 to 2005)

Just over sixty percent of female 2005 school leavers transitioned directly from school to tertiary education, 8.6% higher than the rate for male school leavers (55.6%). After widening at the end of the last decade, the difference in first-time enrolment rates in tertiary between female and male school leavers was the same as it was for 1998 school leavers.

Percentage of school leavers making a direct transition to tertiary education, by gender and year left school (1998 to 2005)

Over all levels of study, proportionately more Asian 2005 school leavers (74.6%) made a direct enrolment to tertiary than other ethnic groups. The direct enrolment rates for NZ European and Pasifika 2005 school leavers were very similar at 56.2% and 55.3% respectively, while the rate for Māori was lowest at 51.2%.

The proportions of both Māori and Pasifika school leavers going directly to tertiary increased rapidly from 1998 to 2005, with increases of 65% and 59% respectively. This compares with a 13% increase in the NZ European direct enrolment rate. Since 2002, however, tertiary enrolments for Pasifika school leavers have increased by only 5.7%, while a reduction in enrolments at wānanga during this same period has seen the proportion of Māori leavers going directly to tertiary decline slightly.

Percentage of school leavers making a direct transition to tertiary education, by ethnic group and year left school (1998 to 2005)

When broken down by level of study, Māori (9.5%) and Pasifika (10.7%) have the lowest percentage of 2005 school leavers going directly to degree study. However, proportionately more Māori (70.2%) and Pasifika (66.3%) with a University Entrance standard qualification go directly to do degree level study than do NZ European (58.8%).

Māori (38.2%) and Pasifika (39.8%) currently have substantially higher rates of school leavers enrolling directly in certificate level study than NZ European (26.4%) and Asian (18.2%). This variation between ethnic groups is mainly accounted for by considerably higher rates of enrolment by Māori and Pasifika in Level 1-3 Certificates.

There is also a clear correlation between quintile (the socio-economic mix of the last school the student attended) and the percentage of school leavers going directly to tertiary. Schools in the highest quintile (deciles 9 and 10) draw their students from communities with the lowest degree of socio-economic disadvantage. Of the 2005 school leavers from decile 9 and 10 schools, 68.6% went directly to tertiary education, and were 38% and 20% more likely to go directly to tertiary than students in the lowest quintile (deciles 1 and 2), and students from quintile 4 schools (deciles 7 and 8) respectively.

Where To Find Out More

To obtain other information about school leavers consider indicators:

• School leavers with a university entrance standard
• School leavers with no qualification

To obtain a more complete understanding of participation in tertiary education, and their related effects, consider indicators:

• Participation rates in tertiary education
• Education expectancy
• Educational attainment in the adult population

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

References

Alton-Lee, A. (2003). Quality Teaching for Diverse Students in Schooling: Best Evidence Synthesis. Wellington, Ministry of Education.

Ministry of Education (2005).Profile & Trends: New Zealand’s Tertiary Education Sector. Wellington: Ministry of Education.

Ministry of Education (2005). Tertiary Education Strategy 2002/07: Monitoring Report.Wellington: Ministry of Education.