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National Trends

Initial Teacher Education Pipeline

LATEST RELEASE PUBLISHED DEC 2024 REFERENCE: 2005-2022 CITE PUBLICATION SHARE PRINT

Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership. (2024). ATWD National Trends: Initial Teacher Education Pipeline (Dec 2024 ed., 2005-2022). https://www.aitsl.edu.au/research/australian-teacher-workforce-data/atwdreports/national-trends-ite-pipeline-dec2024/

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About this publication

This edition of National Trends: Initial Teacher Education (ITE) Pipeline presents data on the progression of initial teacher education (ITE) students through the ITE pipeline, reporting on national trends in commencements, completions and completion rates from 2005 to 2022.

National Trends: ITE Pipeline publications are written to support workforce planning and inform decision-making by identifying notable national trends that are likely to affect current and future national teacher workforce supply.

The key national trends:

Introduction

Initial teacher education is the foundation for a teaching career, and graduates from initial teacher education (ITE) are the main source of teacher supply in Australia.

The National Trends: Initial Teacher Education Pipeline publication provides insight into emerging national trends in the potential future supply pool of teachers through ITE. It contains interpretations of key national trends from 2005 to 2022, situated within a policy context or noting policy shifts or changes that could have an impact on the data. This publication raises important questions and considerations for policy makers about factors affecting the available teacher supply pool in Australia, including:

  • Trends in commencements – the future potential of the pipeline.
  • Trends in completions – the number of graduates available to enter the workforce.
  • Trends in completion rates – how trends in commencements may translate into completions, in future.

The National Trends: ITE Pipeline publication is updated annually as new data is released by the Australian Teacher Workforce Data (ATWD) initiative. A separate National Trends: Teacher Workforce publication provides insights into national trends in the teacher workforce and is also updated annually (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership, 2024d).

Improvements to ITE data collection

The ATWD continually improves its collection of both ITE and teacher workforce data over time. Data and linkage improvements in 2022 have resulted in changes to the number of recorded ITE commencements and completions from 2005 to 2022. In addition to ongoing improvements in data linkage, two key improvements were implemented in this release:

  • Improvements to the ‘registration status’ field supplied by teacher regulatory authorities, enabling better detection of ITE students concurrently studying and working under an alternative authorisation to teach arrangement. This improvement affects the updating of ITE completions from registration records.
  • Incorporation of registration data from the Teacher Registration Board of Western Australia (TRBWA), for the first time, has improved the completion fill for recent graduates who first register in Western Australia. This affects data for all states and territories across all pipeline stages, but has a larger impact on completions in Western Australia.

As a result of these improvements, data counts and percentages in this edition of National Trends: ITE Pipeline will not align with previous editions.[1]

Australian Teacher Workforce Data Portal

The Australian Teacher Workforce Data Portal (Data Portal) supersedes the Key Metrics Dashboard as the location where longitudinal trend data from the ATWD initiative can be accessed.

The Data Portal provides:

  • detailed longitudinal data on the ITE pipeline, including data on commencements, completions and completion rates; and
  • detailed longitudinal data on the teacher workforce, including data on the characteristics and experiences of teachers, including the learners they teach, their career intentions, their years of experience in the profession and much more.

The Data Portal offers an interactive user interface enabling exploration of longitudinal ITE and teacher workforce data. For example, Data Portal users can now select multiple variables (from those available) to more thoroughly explore and investigate data trends, and data visualisations are automatically generated based on the specific data selected.

What is the ITE pipeline?

The ITE pipeline is the start of most teachers’ professional journey - from commencement to completion of an accredited ITE program or equivalent qualification. This stage precedes provisional registration and entry into the teacher workforce.

Initial teacher education is a program of study undertaken through a higher education provider, or an equivalent qualification (like an Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) approved program),[2] that allows individuals to register to teach in Australia.

Data relating to the ITE pipeline offers important insights into future teacher supply. Information about the profile of pre-service teachers, including how they study and where, enables a nuanced understanding of the teacher supply pipeline. This can aid in identifying policy opportunities to attract more people to the profession over time.

ITE program types

From the ATWD, it is possible to see how many people commenced an ITE program in any given year, as well as how many completed and may transition into the workforce the following year. It is important to consider the types of programs ITE students undertake to gain a clearer understanding of how, and the settings where, the pipeline will contribute to supply. That is, how many new early childhood, primary and secondary teachers are we likely to have in future years? However, because some programs prepare teachers to teach in multiple settings, ITE data alone cannot provide the whole story. Workforce data is needed to understand who ITE graduates go on to teach.

There are a range of program types available to ITE students. While some ITE programs focus on a specific learner level, such as primary ITE programs and secondary ITE programs, other programs overlap multiple learner levels.

ITE programs prepare people to teach different age groups Initial Teacher Education programs prepare people to teach different age groups, however some program types overlap in learner age focus. Birth 5 8 12 18 Years Some ITE programs focus on early childhood only – the period from birth to 5 years of age. ​ While other programs cover the period frombirth to 8 years. There are also ITE programs that prepare people to teachin early childhood and across the primary school years. Many ITE programs focus solely on the primaryor secondary level. Some ITE programs cover both primary and secondary levels (a combination of age groups like the ‘middle years’). Finally, there are some ‘other’ programs with an  unknown/unable to be classified age specialisation. ITE programs prepare people to teach different age groups EXPLORE /7 0

Due to the overlapping age groups, data on ITE program types provides insight into potential supply into different workforce segments. This is important to consider when examining the commencements and completions data described throughout this report.

ITE pipeline summary

ITE Program Commencements

Total commencements in 2022 25,467

Growth from 2021 to 2022 -16.3%

Growth from 2012 to 2017 +3.3%

Average growth per year from 2017 to 2022 -4.7%

ITE Program Completions

Total completions in 202215,161

Growth from 2021 to 2022-1.5%

Growth from 2012 to 2017+3.6%

Average growth per year from 2017 to 2022-4.0%

Commencements

Over the last decade, growth in ITE commencements[6] has fluctuated, with periods of positive growth offset by several notable single-year declines. A total of 25,467 students commenced an ITE program in 2022[7], representing a decrease of 16.3% from 2021 (n=30,422).

In 2022, 25,467 students commenced an ITE program, a 16% decrease from 2021.

After a steady increase from 2012 to 2017 (at an average of +3.3% per year), commencements reached a high of 33,356 in 2017. However, this was followed by a sizeable decline of 18.6% in 2018. Though commencements increased in 2020 and 2021, a 16.3% decrease in 2022 dropped commencements to their lowest point since 2011 (Figure 2).

Figure 2: National commencements, count and annual change; 2005-2022

Trends in commencements across higher education

Compared to all ITE commencements, trends in all tertiary commencements at the bachelor and postgraduate (non-research) levels[8] from 2017 through 2022 differed notably.

While tertiary commencements have remained largely stable from 2017 to 2022 (+0.1%), ITE commencements dropped by 23.7% over the same period, driven primarily by the sharp 16.3% decline in ITE commencements in 2022.

Commencements by state/territory

The percentage of ITE students in each state and territory[9] is closely aligned with their percentage of the Australian population. The largest difference recorded among all states in territories was 0.8 percentage points in South Australia, where the proportion of commencements (7.8%) exceeded the proportion of national population (7.0%). All states and territories recorded a difference of no greater than 1 percentage point. More than half of all commencing ITE students resided in New South Wales and Victoria in 2022, and this has been consistent over time (Table 1).

Table 1: ITE commencements, by state and territory; 2021-2022

 

Commencements

Proportion of national commencements (%)

State/territory

2021

2022

2021

2022

New South Wales

9,402

7,877

31%

31%

Victoria

7,545

6,462

25%

25%

Queensland

6,357

5,097

21%

20%

Western Australia

3,577

2,888

12%

11%

South Australia

2,122

1,993

7%

8%

Tasmania

467

407

2%

2%

Australian Capital Territory

678

513

2%

2%

Northern Territory

274

230

1%

1%

Total

30,422

25,467

100%

100%

Trends in the number of ITE commencements have varied across states and territories over the last decade. Most states and territories recorded an overall increase in commencements from 2012 to 2017, followed by notable decreases from 2017 to 2022 (Figure 3).

From 2012 to 2017, 4 out of 8 states and territories recorded an increase in commencements. The largest increases were seen in Western Australia (+53%), Queensland (+44%) and Victoria (+14%). In contrast, the largest decreases in commencements over the period were recorded in the Northern Territory (-35%) and Tasmania (-26%).

Between 2017 and 2022, many states and territories recorded an overall decrease in commencements, reflecting the broader national trend. This was most pronounced in Western Australia, with a 39% decrease, while Queensland (-24%), Victoria (-23%) and New South Wales (-21%) also recorded notable decreases. Only the Northern Territory (+6%) recorded an increase in commencements from 2017 to 2022 (Figure 3).

Figure 3: ITE commencements, by state and territory; 2012-2022

Commencing student characteristics

This section explores the characteristics of commencing ITE students and how they study, including the demographic profile of students; the program type, degree level, and study mode that commencing students are undertaking; and the basis of students’ admission into ITE.

Age

In 2022, nearly half (48%) of all commencing ITE students were aged 21 to 30 years, and 28% were aged 20 or under. In total, over three-quarters (76%) of commencing ITE students were aged 30 or under and just under a quarter (24%) were aged 31 or over. The age distribution of commencing ITE students has remained stable from 2012 to 2022, despite some fluctuations over the period.

Gender

In 2022, nearly three-quarters of commencing ITE students were women (74%), and this has been relatively consistent over time.

From 2012 to 2022, the proportion of commencing ITE students that were women reached a peak of 75% in 2012, and has not fallen below 72% over this period.

Remoteness

From 2012 to 2022, the proportion of commencing ITE students living in a predominantly regional or remote area declined from 28% to 21%.[10] This decrease was largely driven by a 6-percentage point decline from 2012 to 2017 – the proportion of regional or remote ITE students has remained largely stable since 2017.

A corresponding increase was observed in commencing ITE students living in major cities from 2012 to 2022, increasing from 72% to 79% (+7 percentage points).

Disability

From 2017 to 2022, the proportion of commencing ITE students with a disability increased from 5% to 9% (+4 percentage points). This increase may reflect changes in the accessibility of ITE programs, the willingness of students to report a disability (Brett, 2016), or the level of support services provided by ITE providers to students disclosing a disability.

Socio-economic status

Socio-economic status (SES)[11] is based on where a person lives and measures the average relative economic and social conditions of people in a given area, as opposed to individual or family circumstances. Socio-economic status for commencing ITE students has remained largely stable over the long term. In 2022, 55% of commencing ITE students were from a medium SES area, 24% were from a high SES area, and 21% were from a low SES area (Figure 4).

Figure 4: ITE commencing students, by remoteness, disability and SES; 2012, 2017, 2022

Language spoken at home

Language spoken at home records the use of English and other languages (if any), spoken by students at their home residence. The ATWD began to collect data on language spoken at home from the 2021 commencing cohort onwards.

In 2022, 14% of all commencing ITE students spoke a language other than, or in addition to, English at home.

International students

International students accounted for a small proportion of all commencements in 2022 (6%) – most people commencing ITE programs were domestic students[12] (94%).

After a period of steady growth from 2015, international ITE commencements reached a peak of 8% in 2019. In 2020 and 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, fewer international students commenced an ITE program (Figure 5). This was in line with overall declines in overseas migration during this period (ABS, 2023a), as well as trends across all tertiary commencements by international students (Australian Government Department of Education, 2024a).

Figure 5: Proportion of ITE commencements by international students; 2012-2022

Commencing student study characteristics

Degree level

In 2022, 71% of ITE commencements were at the undergraduate level and 29% were at the postgraduate level (Figure 6). The proportion of undergraduate and postgraduate ITE commencements has remained fairly stable over time.

The proportion of undergraduate commencements fell from 71% in 2017 to 69% in 2018, following the funding freeze on Commonwealth Supported Places (CSP) in 2017. A corresponding 2-percentage point increase in postgraduate commencements from 29% in 2017 to 31% in 2018 was recorded. The proportion of postgraduate commencements continued to slowly rise from 2018, reaching 33% of all commencements in 2020.

However, from 2020 to 2022, the proportion of ITE commencements at the postgraduate level decreased from 33% to 29% (-4 percentage points), returning to 2017 levels. This decrease aligns with the 4-percentage point increase in the proportion of commencing students aged 21 or under from 2020 to 2022, as younger students are more likely to commence an undergraduate program.

Figure 6: Proportion of ITE commencements by degree type; 2012-2022

Mode of attendance

Nearly half (47%) of commencing students were studying either completely or partly online in 2022. This has been stable since 2020.

The nature of ITE study has evolved over the last decade – in 2022, 47% of ITE students commenced their studies through a program that was offered either fully (31%) or partly (16%) off-campus (online),[13] which represents a substantial 21-percentage point increase from 26% in 2012 (Figure 7). The increases in both online and multi-modal program commencements may reflect not only increased preference for flexibility in tertiary studies among students, but also the growth in availability of off-campus units of study and ITE programs from providers.

Since 2020, growth in online and multi-modal programs has stagnated, with the proportion of online and multi-modal program commencements remaining steady at 47% in 2021 and 2022. Prior to 2020, growth in both online and multi-modal programs had increased steadily over time, a trend which then accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic. From 2017 to 2020, the combined proportion of online and multi-modal programs increased by 10 percentage points (2017: 37%; 2020: 47%), with the most pronounced increase occurring in 2020, spiking from 36% to 47% (+11 percentage points).

Online and multi-modal modes of attendance also play a vital role in ensuring ITE programs are accessible to a wider range of individuals. In particular, over three-quarters (76%) of ITE students aged 31 years or older studied either online or multi-modally in 2022 – allowing mature-aged students to study flexibly while managing competing financial and family responsibilities. Furthermore, nearly two-thirds (65%) of regional and remote ITE students study online or multi-modally, which is particularly important for students who may be geographically isolated and potentially unable to attend their programs on-campus.

Figure 7: Proportion of ITE commencements by mode of attendance; 2012-2022

Full-time status

Most (80%) students commencing an ITE program in 2022 studied full-time in their first year and 20% studied part-time. While the proportion of students studying part-time was 20% in both 2012 and 2022, there were notable trends within the decade (Figure 8).

After reaching a low of 17% in 2014, the proportion of ITE students studying part-time increased by 6 percentage points to 23% in 2015. However, from 2017 to 2019, the proportion of ITE students studying part-time declined from 23% to 18% (-5 percentage points).

Outside of these two periods of change, there have been smaller increases in the proportion of part-time ITE students from 2019 to 2022.

Figure 8: Full-time status by degree level; 2012-2022

Changes in commencements by attribute

From 2019 to 2022, there have been notable shifts in student and study characteristics. For example, the number of international student commencements declined at a much higher rate than domestic student commencements, mainly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of students studying online or multi-modally also markedly increased from 2019 to 2022, with growth that far outpaced on-campus study (Table 2).

The number of commencements by persons with a disability increased markedly from 2019 to 2022. Over the same period, the number of commencements by students living in regional/remote areas declined to a larger extent than those in metropolitan areas.

Table 2: Changes in ITE commencements by attribute; 2019-2022

Percentage change 2019-2022

Domestic

-2%

vs.

-34%

International

Aged 20 or under

3%

vs.

-7%

All other ages

Online & multi-modal

26%

vs.

-21%

On-campus

Part-time

5%

vs.

-7%

Full-time

Metropolitan

-2%

vs.

-14%

Regional/remote

Disability

62%

vs.

-8%

No disability

Program type

There are a range of program types available to ITE students. While some ITE programs focus on a specific learner level, such as primary ITE programs and secondary ITE programs, other programs overlap multiple learner levels.

ITE programs may impact teacher supply in different ways Explore to find out more ITE programs may impact teachersupply in different ways EXPLORE

Primary and secondary programs

The uptake of program types has shifted over time. Commencements in secondary programs continue to be slightly more common than primary programs.

In 2022, the ITE programs with the largest share of commencing students were secondary (35%, n=8,914) and primary (34%, n=8,557) (Figure 9). Due to the large commencement share of these program types, primary and secondary ITE program commencements tend to broadly follow trends in overall ITE commencements. Consequently, over the period from 2012 to 2022, there has been a net decrease in primary (-20%) and secondary (-8%) program commencements, with fluctuations during the decade.

Primary and secondary program commencements experienced a period of positive growth from 2012 to 2017 (primary: +20%; secondary: +21%). However, from 2017 to 2019, primary program commencements fell by 29%, while secondary program commencements fell by 16%. As a result of the larger decline in primary programs over this period, secondary programs overtook primary programs as the program type with the highest share of commencements.

Primary and secondary program commencements increased from 2019 to 2021 (primary: +15%; secondary: +15%), however this growth was offset by another large decline in commencements from 2021 to 2022 (primary: -19%; secondary -21%).

Primary/secondary combined programs accounted for 4% (n=1,061) of ITE commencements in 2022, with growth remaining stable from 2017 to 2022.

Figure 9: Proportion of ITE commencements by program type (primary, secondary); 2012-2022

Early childhood and early childhood/primary programs

In 2022, 20% (n=5,172) of commencing ITE students were undertaking a program that included, at least in part, early childhood: 8% in birth-5 programs (early childhood), 4% in birth-8 programs (early childhood/primary), and 8% in birth-12 programs (early childhood/primary).

From 2012 to 2017, the number of birth-8 program commencements increased by 77%, while birth-12 commencements remained stable (+1%). In contrast, birth-5 commencements fell by 34% over this period (Figure 10).

These patterns reversed between 2017 and 2022. Birth-5 program commencements doubled over this period, increasing by 102%, while birth-8 commencements declined by 53%. Birth-12 commencements increased by 9%.

In 2022, birth-5 (n=2,065) program commencements exceeded commencements in birth-8 (n=2,019) and birth-12 programs (n=1,088).

Due to the smaller age range that birth-5 students are trained to teach, birth-5 programs are less likely to contribute teacher supply to schools than birth-8 and birth-12 programs. For more information on learner levels taught by those with an ITE qualification that includes an early childhood component, see the ATWD’s In Focus: Early Childhood Teachers publication.

Figure 10: Proportion of commencements by program type (birth-5, birth-8, birth-12); 2012-2022

It is also important to consider early childhood and early childhood/primary commencements in a context including primary-only programs. Over time, and particularly from 2017 onwards, there has been a change in the distribution of ITE programs spanning the early childhood and primary levels, with a shift toward programs specialising in early childhood only (birth-5) or birth-12 programs and a corresponding decline in primary-only programs (Figure 11).

In particular, from 2017 to 2022, the proportion of birth-5 program commencements increased by 5 percentage points to 8% of total commencements. This increase coincided with a decrease in primary-only programs, falling from 39% to 34% (-5 percentage points).

Over the same period, the proportion of birth-8 program commencements declined by 3 percentage points to 4% of total commencements, while birth-12 program commencements increased by 2 percentage points to 8%.

Despite the changes to the distribution of program types, the combined proportion of commencements in programs spanning the early childhood and primary levels has remained fairly stable from 2017 onward (between 52% to 55% of commencements).

Figure 11: Proportion of ITE commencements by primary, early childhood and early childhood/primary programs; 2012-2022

For more information about the early childhood ITE pipeline, including trends in early childhood ITE programs up to 2021, see the In Focus: Early Childhood Teachers publication.

Basis of admission

Students can enter ITE programs through a range of pathways,[14] including secondary education, previous higher education studies, Vocational Education and Training (VET), or some other basis [15] like work experience. Admission into ITE is largely at the discretion of providers. It may involve academic criteria, like ATAR[16] or previous academic performance in higher education, and non-academic criteria, like written applications and interviews. Note, as most postgraduate students (95% in 2021) are admitted to ITE based on previous higher education study, and undergraduate students access a wider range of admission options, only undergraduate trends are described here.

Undergraduate admission pathways

ITE programs prepare people to teach different age groups. Typically, ITE students preparing to teach older age groups enter their programs via their secondary education or previous higher education. ITE students studying to teach younger age groups mainly enter from prior Vocational Education and Training (VET).

In 2022, 40% of students were admitted to undergraduate ITE through a secondary education pathway, followed by higher education (33%) and VET (20%; Figure 12).

Over the period from 2012 to 2022, there have been shifts in the relative proportion of undergraduate admission pathways.

From 2012 to 2017, there was a general upwards trend in the proportion of undergraduate ITE students admitted based on their previous higher education – increasing by 7 percentage points to 34%. Over this period, there was a corresponding 7-percentage point decline in the proportion admitted based on their secondary education.

In 2018, these shifts partially reversed, with the proportion of students admitted on the basis of their previous higher education declining to 25%, while admissions from secondary education increased to 40%. From 2018 to 2022, admissions based on secondary education remained stable at 40%, while admissions based on previous higher education increased from 25% to 33%. The increase in previous higher education admissions is likely due to the decline in the proportion of admissions classified as ‘other.’

Admission on the basis of VET remained fairly steady from 2012 (16%) to 2017 (14%). From 2017 to 2022, the proportion of admissions on the basis of VET increased from 14% to 20%.

In 2021, the classification for ‘basis of admission’ was restructured under the TCSI framework. This change may have contributed to increases in the relative proportion of students recorded as entering undergraduate ITE programs via higher education and reduced the proportion of students recorded as entering these programs via an ‘other’/unknown basis.

Figure 12: Undergraduate Basis of Admission; 2012-2022

Undergraduate admission pathways by program type

The basis by which commencing undergraduate ITE students are admitted into an ITE program varies notably by program type. In 2022, ITE students preparing to teach older age groups typically entered their programs via their secondary education or previous higher education, while ITE students studying to teach younger age groups mainly entered from prior Vocational Education and Training (VET, Figure 13).

In 2022, 70% of students commencing a birth-5 program were admitted on the basis of VET. This was notably higher than those commencing a birth-8 or birth-12 program (33%).[17] Since 2017, the proportion of VET admissions in birth-5 programs has increased from 56% in 2017 to 70% in 2022.

It is possible that a large portion of VET admissions into birth-5 programs, and to a lesser extent, birth-8 and birth-12 programs, are VET-qualified early childhood educators who are upskilling. This raises the possibility that successful ITE completion by these commencing students may lead to shifts in qualification levels within the early childhood sector rather than increasing net supply overall.

In contrast, ITE students commencing a primary program typically entered through either secondary education (41%) or higher education (39%) pathways in 2022, with only 12% admitted through a VET pathway.

For ITE students commencing a secondary program, over half (53%) were admitted on the basis of their secondary education, with 32% admitted through previous higher education. Similar to primary commencements, only a small proportion were admitted through a VET pathway (7%).

Figure 13: Proportion of undergraduate secondary education and VET admissions, by program type; 2022

Undergraduate admissions by ATAR score

In 2022, of those admitted on the basis of their ATAR scores, three-quarters (76%) had a score of 70 or greater.[18]

Among students admitted based on their ATAR score, the older the learner that an ITE student is training to teach, the higher their ATAR score is likely to be. For students admitted to secondary programs on the basis of their ATAR, over half (55%) recorded an ATAR greater than 80. The proportion of students with an ATAR score greater than 80 declines across the other program types (primary: 36%; birth-8/birth-12: 30%; birth-5: 19%).

Enrolments

Enrolments[19] indicate the number of students actively in the ITE pipeline in a given year. It includes a mix of commencing students, those who complete during the year, and those who undertook study toward their degree that year (but not those who deferred for a full year). Enrolments must be interpreted with caution as they are influenced by many factors: enrolments grow when commencements increase, when completions go down, when fewer students study full-time, when degrees increase in length, and when subject pass rates go down.

A general upward trend can be observed in ITE enrolments over the last decade. From 2012 to 2017, enrolments increased by 21%. However, when commencements fell from 2017 to 2019, so too did enrolments (-5%), before increasing 8% between 2019 and 2021 (Figure 14). Following another large decline in commencements in 2022, enrolments declined by 4%, falling below 2017 levels.

Figure 14: National enrolments, count and annual change; 2005-2022

Degree level

Enrolments by degree level have fluctuated over time, particularly from 2017 to 2022.

At the undergraduate level, enrolments fell by 6% from 2017 to 2019. Undergraduate enrolments increased by 5% between 2019 and 2021, before again decreasing in 2022 (-3%).

By comparison, postgraduate enrolments fell at a lower rate of 3% from 2017 to 2019. From 2019 to 2021, postgraduate enrolments increased by 18%. In 2022, postgraduate enrolments declined by 8%.

From 2017 to 2022, undergraduate enrolments declined at an average rate of 0.9% per year, while postgraduate enrolments increased at an average rate of 1.1% per year. The most likely explanation for only postgraduate enrolment numbers increasing across 2017 to 2022 is the phasing out of 1-year postgraduate ITE programs. This is because the shift from 1- to 2-year postgraduate programs increased the number of years in which a commencing postgraduate student would need to be enrolled.

Completions

Completions are the final stage of the ITE pipeline. After successful completion of an ITE program, the next step for ITE students is provisional registration and entry into the teacher workforce. As such, ITE completions are a crucial indicator of future teacher supply.

In 2022, 15,161 students completed an ITE program, a decrease of 2% from 2021.

In 2022, 15,161 students completed an ITE program,[20] a 2% decrease from 2021 (Figure 15).[21] In the decade since 2012, there has been a net decrease in completions (-6%).

Over the decade, there have been some notable trends in completions. From 2012 to 2017, completions increased steadily at an average rate of 3.6% per year. Then, from 2017 to 2021, completions decreased at an average rate of 4.7%.

Between 2017 and 2022, ITE completions fell at an average rate of 4% per year, while the Australian student-aged population grew at an average rate of 0.7%. If growth in the student-aged population continues to outpace ITE completions over time, this may exacerbate any existing shortages in the national teacher workforce.

In recent years, ITE completions have not kept pace with growth in the Australian student-aged population. Between 2017 and 2022, there was an average decrease in completions of 4% per year. By contrast, the student-aged population grew by an average of 0.7% per year, indicating a likely teacher supply shortfall. If growth in the student-aged population continues to outpace ITE completions over time, this may exacerbate any existing shortages in the national teacher workforce.

Figure 15: National ITE completions; 2005-2022

Completions by state/territory

Overall, in 2022, the proportion of ITE completions in each state and territory did not align as neatly with their relative population sizes as ITE commencements (Table 3).

In 2022, New South Wales recorded fewer ITE completions (24.4%) relative to their proportion of the national population (31.4%), equating to a -7 percentage point difference, the largest among all states and territories.

It is important to note that commencements in New South Wales were notably lower in 2016 relative to other years from 2012 to 2022. As most undergraduate ITE students complete their programs within a 6-year timeframe (and undergraduate students account for most ITE commencements and completions), this lower-than-usual number of New South Wales commencements in 2016 aligns with the lower proportion of completions in New South Wales in 2022 (Figure 3).

Comparatively, Victoria (+4.7 percentage points) recorded the highest proportion of ITE completions relative to their proportion of the national population. Completions in the Australian Capital Territory (no difference) and Northern Territory (-0.3 percentage points) were more closely aligned with their relative population sizes.

Table 3: National population vs. ITE completions, by state and territory; 2022 (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2024).

 

National proportion (%)

 

State/territory

Population

Completions

Difference to population (ppt)

New South Wales

31.4%

24.4%

-7.0

Victoria

25.5%

30.2%

4.7

Queensland

20.5%

21.1%

0.6

Western Australia

10.7%

12.0%

1.3

South Australia

7.0%

8.2%

1.2

Tasmania

2.2%

1.7%

-0.5

Australian Capital Territory

1.8%

1.8%

0.0

Northern Territory

1.0%

0.7%

-0.3

Trends in ITE completions varied across the states and territories from 2021 to 2022 (Table 4).[22] Only 3 states and territories recorded an increase in completions. New South Wales and South Australia (+5% each) recorded the highest increases in completions, followed by the Australian Capital Territory (3%). In contrast, the largest declines in completions were seen in the Northern Territory (-12%) and Queensland (-10%). Western Australia recorded no change from 2021 to 2022.

Table 4: ITE completions, by state and territory; 2021-2022

 

Completions

Percentage change

State/territory

2021

2022

2021-2022

Victoria

4,702

4,575

-3%

New South Wales

3,508

3,697

+5%

Queensland

3,537

3,193

-10%

Western Australia

1,819

1,822

0%

South Australia

1,183

1,242

+5%

Australian Capital Territory

262

269

+3%

Tasmania

264

256

-3%

Northern Territory

122

107

-12%

Total

15,397

15,161

-2%

Degree level

In 2022, 61% of ITE completions were at the undergraduate level, and 39% were at the postgraduate level. The proportion of completing ITE students who studied at the postgraduate level increased by 3 percentage points from 36% in 2012. (Figure 16)

From 2012 to 2017, postgraduate completions increased at an average rate of 5.5% per year. This reversed from 2017 to 2021, with postgraduate completions declining at an average rate of 7.4% per year in this period. In 2022, postgraduate completions increased by 13%, returning postgraduate completions to 2018 levels.

Comparatively, undergraduate completions increased at an average rate of 2.5% per year from 2012 to 2017. However, from 2017 to 2022, undergraduate completions have decreased by an average of 4% per year.

Figure 16: ITE completions, by degree level; 2012-2022

Program type

Primary and secondary programs

In 2022, primary (n=5,783) and secondary (n=5,905) ITE programs accounted for 77%[23] of all ITE completions (Figure 17).

From 2012 to 2017, both program types experienced a period of growth. Secondary ITE program completions increased by 30%, while primary ITE program completions increased by 9%.[24] Program completions then fell over the period from 2017 to 2021, with primary and secondary programs declining by 17% and 24% respectively. Secondary (+5%) programs recorded an increase in completions in 2022, in line with the increase in total ITE completions, while primary programs declined by 2%.

Combined primary and secondary programs accounted for 3% (n=515) of ITE program completions in 2022. Combined primary and secondary programs have grown steadily from 2012 to 2022, increasing at an average rate of 14.9% per year.

Figure 17: Number of ITE completions by program type (primary, secondary, primary/secondary); 2012-2022

Early childhood and early childhood/primary programs

In 2022, early childhood and early childhood/primary ITE programs together accounted for 15% of all ITE completions (n=2,265).[25]

Birth-8 and birth-12 program completions increased sizeably from 2012 to 2017. Birth-8 programs increased by a sizeable 296% over this period, while birth-12 program completions increased by 92%.[26] In contrast, birth-5 program completions declined by 29%.

From 2017 to 2021, all early childhood and early childhood/primary programs recorded a decline in completions. Birth-5 programs recorded the largest decline in completions over this period, falling by 31% with birth-8 (-22%) and birth-12 (-18%) programs also declining (Figure 18).

However, in 2022, birth-5 program completions reversed previous growth patterns, increasing by 28%, alongside growth in birth-12 completions (+6%). In contrast, birth-8 completions fell by 16%.

Figure 18: Number of completions in early childhood and early childhood/primary programs; 2012-2022

‘Other’ ITE programs

In 2022, ‘other’[27] programs accounted for 5% of all completions. ‘Other’ program types include those where the learner age focus is unclear, such as a special education program with no further information. The proportion of ‘other’ program type completions has steadily declined over time, decreasing from 12% in 2012 to 5% in 2022, which is largely a result of improved recording of ITE program type information that enables classification in the ATWD.

Completion rates

Students in the same cohort progress through the ITE pipeline on different timelines.[28] In fact, within any given cohort, there are 3 possible student outcomes: students could have completed their studies, discontinued their ITE program or remain enrolled. Completion rates help with understanding the progression of students through the ITE pipeline.

Completion rates are calculated as the proportion of a commencing cohort who completed an ITE program. For this publication, this includes completion of an undergraduate program over a 4-year (postgraduate) or 6-year (undergraduate) timeframe.

Overall completion rates are available for up to, and including, the 2017 commencing undergraduate ITE cohort, and the 2019 commencing postgraduate ITE cohort. These are the students that have reached the respective 6- and 4-year completion timeframes in 2022.

Trends in completion rates can be useful for estimating potential future teacher supply, because they show what proportion of commencing students in a cohort are likely to complete their degree. Completion rates are affected by a combination of complex factors, including, but not limited to, the characteristics of students, the chosen mode of attendance for study, changes to program offerings and the length of ITE programs.

Calculating completion rates

In this publication, completion timeframes reported for undergraduate and postgraduate ITE students are 6 years and 4 years, respectively. The ATWD also has completion rates over a 10-year timeframe available in the Data Portal (see also Figure 20 and Figure 21).

The 6- and 4-year timeframes reflect the point by which almost all ITE students have completed their studies or exited their program: 7% of undergraduates and 4% of postgraduates were still enrolled after 6 and 4 years respectively. Historically, around half of those still enrolled at 6 or 4 years are ‘later’ completers who go on to complete within 9 years (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership, 2024a). Since most students have completed within 6 or 4 years, the potential benefit of capturing a slightly larger share of completing students with a longer completion rate timeframe is outweighed by the real benefit of reporting on more recent cohorts.

Among ‘later’ completers across all tertiary studies in Australia, a slightly greater proportion of online and multi-modal students completed between 7 and 9 years, relative to on-campus students. This also holds true for those studying part-time versus full-time (Australian Government Department of Education, 2023).

Degree level

Across undergraduate and postgraduate programs of all types, completion rates have declined over time.

As shown in Figure 19, completion rates for both undergraduate and postgraduate ITE students have declined since the 2012 commencing cohorts.

Undergraduate students in the 2017 commencing cohort were 6 years post-commencement in 2022. For this cohort, 6-year completion rates were 48%, a decrease of 5 percentage points compared to students who commenced in 2012 (53%).

This decrease is partially due to broader changes to undergraduate ITE programs from 2012 to 2017. In particular, 2-year undergraduate Bachelor Graduate entry programs[29] were replaced by postgraduate programs and no longer offered. This meant that all undergraduate ITE programs were longer than 2 years in length. There was also a general shift in ACECQA-recognised early childhood undergraduate programs from 3 years to 4 years in duration.

Postgraduate students in the 2019 commencing cohort were 4 years post-commencement in 2022. For this cohort, 4-year completion rates were 63%, a decrease of 12 percentage points compared to students who commenced in 2012 (75%).

The decrease in 4-year postgraduate completion rates is likely due to the complete phasing out of 1-year postgraduate ITE programs between 2013 and 2018. As longer degrees typically have lower completion rates, extending postgraduate ITE program lengths by an additional year likely resulted in a reduction in completion rates.

The overall decline in completion rates over the last 6 undergraduate and 8 postgraduate cohorts may have adverse implications for future teacher workforce supply, since fewer people are successfully graduating from the ITE pipeline and transitioning into the workforce.

Figure 19: Completion rates by degree level; 2012-2019 commencing cohorts

It is important to note that some undergraduate and postgraduate ITE students go on to complete their programs after 6 or 4 years. As shown in Figure 20, from the 2005 undergraduate commencing cohort to the 2013 undergraduate commencing cohort, 10-year completion rates were between 2 and 3 percentage points higher than 6-year completion rates.

Similarly, as shown in Figure 21,[30] from the 2006 postgraduate commencing cohort to the 2016 postgraduate commencing cohort, 7-year completion rates were between 1 and 3 percentage points higher than 4-year completion rates.

For more information and data on completion rates by various student and study characteristics, visit the Australian Teacher Workforce Data Portal.

Figure 20: Completion rates by commencing cohort, undergraduate; 2005-2021 commencing cohorts

Figure 21: Completion rates by commencing cohort, postgraduate; 2005-2021 commencing cohorts

Program type

Undergraduate programs

Completion rates have declined for all types of undergraduate ITE programs from the 2012 commencing cohort (students who were 6 years post-commencement by 2017) to the 2017 commencing cohort (students who were 6 years post-commencement by 2022). The largest completion rate declines were observed across early childhood and early childhood/primary programs, while there were smaller decreases for primary and secondary programs.

From the 2012 commencing cohort to the 2017 commencing cohort, early childhood (birth-5) programs declined by 14 percentage points to 41%, while early childhood/primary (birth-8/birth-12) decreased by 11 percentage points to 42%.

Completion rates also decreased for primary and secondary undergraduate programs, which together comprise the majority of undergraduate commencements. From the 2012 commencing cohort to the 2017 commencing cohort, completion rates for primary programs fell by 5 percentage points to 51%, while secondary programs fell by 3 percentage points to 49% (Figure 22).

Figure 22: Completion rates by undergraduate program type; 2012-2017 commencing cohorts

Postgraduate programs

From the 2014 commencing cohort (students who were 4 years post commencement by 2017) to the 2019 commencing cohort (students who were 4 years post commencement by 2022), primary postgraduate programs recorded the largest decrease in completion rates, falling by 20 percentage points to 59%. Over the same period, secondary postgraduate programs declined by 9 percentage points to 68% (Table 5).

The decline in postgraduate program completion rates[31] can be at least partially attributed to the transition to 2-year postgraduate ITE programs in 2015, which extended the length of postgraduate ITE programs by an additional year and longer degrees have lower completion rates.

Table 5: Completion rates by postgraduate program type (primary, secondary); 2014-2019 commencing cohorts

 

Postgraduate

Program type

2014

2019

Percentage point change

Primary

79%

59%

-20

Secondary

77%

68%

-9

From 2015 to 2019,[32] early childhood/primary (birth-8/birth-12) postgraduate completion rates declined by 13 percentage points from 67% to 54%. In 2019, early childhood (birth-5) postgraduate completion rates were 67%.

Completion rates by student and study characteristics

Completion rates are the proportion of a commencing cohort who completed an ITE program. Completion rates vary by study characteristics. Students who study part-time or online are much less likely to complete both undergraduate and postgraduate programs.

There are a variety of student and study characteristics[33] that are associated with lower (and higher) completion rates.

When interpreting the data, it is important to note that although a characteristic may be associated with a lower completion rate, it is not necessarily the cause of the lower completion rate – this is because characteristics may covary.[34] For example, ITE students studying online have lower-than-average completion rates, but these students are also more likely to be mature-aged and studying part-time, which are both also associated with lower completion rates. Therefore, the effects of studying online, being mature-aged, or studying part-time, on completion rates cannot be interpreted in isolation.

Mode of attendance

Across the most recent undergraduate and postgraduate cohorts, ITE students studying online had lower completion rates than students studying on-campus and multi-modally (Figure 23):[35]

  • For the 2017 commencing cohort, the 6-year completion rate for undergraduates studying online was 34%, compared to 53% for students studying on-campus/multi-modally (19 percentage points lower).
  • For the 2019 commencing cohort, the 4-year completion rate for postgraduates studying online was 45%, compared to 71% for students studying on-campus/multi-modally (26 percentage points lower).

Completion rates for students studying online have also decreased at a faster rate than for students studying on-campus and multi-modally. Since 2012:

  • For undergraduates studying online, completion rates declined by 6 percentage points, compared to a 4-percentage point decrease for on-campus/multi-modal students.
  • For postgraduates studying online, completion rates declined by 18 percentage points, compared to an 8-percentage point decrease for on-campus/multi-modal students.
    • Note, the phasing out of 1-year postgraduate programs from 2015-2018 likely contributed to this trend as longer programs typically have lower completion rates.

Figure 23: Completion rates by mode of attendance; 2012-2017 commencing cohorts (undergraduate), 2012-2019 commencing cohorts (postgraduate)

Given the lower completion rates for online programs, the number of overall ITE commencements would need to increase sizeably to ensure an equivalent supply of graduates. From 2012 to 2020, the proportion of online commencements increased from 22% to 30%, though overall commencements decreased. This suggests that online study did not increase overall commencements, but rather displaced some on-campus and/or multi-modal commencements. Consequently, given the lower completion rates for students studying online, there is likely to be a continued decline in the overall number of completions through to 2025, unless more support is provided to improve completion rates across study modes. However, as the proportion of online commencements remained steady at between 30% to 31% from 2020 to 2022, the number of ITE completions may stabilise from 2025 onwards as those commencing cohorts progress through the pipeline.

Age

For both undergraduate and postgraduate programs, ITE students were generally less likely to complete their program as their age at commencement increased. The effect of age on completion rates was also more pronounced at the postgraduate level:

  • In the 2017 commencing cohort, the 6-year undergraduate completion rates were 52% for students aged 25 or under, compared to 38% for students aged 26-30 and 40% for students aged 31 and over.
  • In the 2019 commencing cohort, the 4-year postgraduate completion rate for students aged 30 and under was 69%, compared to 52% for students aged 31 and over (Figure 24).

Postgraduate completion rates have decreased at a greater rate for older students over time. Since the 2014 commencing cohort, postgraduate completion rates for students aged 31 and over have declined by 18 percentage points, compared to a 13-percentage point decrease for those aged 30 and under.

In contrast, undergraduate completion rates have decreased at similar rates across all age groups. Since the 2012 commencing cohort, each age group recorded a decrease in completion rates between 4 and 7 percentage points.

ITE students aged 31 and over tend to have lower completion rates than their younger counterparts. There are several characteristics that are common among older students that are associated with lower completion rates, such as studying part-time and/or online, which may be due to the need for older ITE students to balance family commitments, maintain financial commitments through ongoing employment, and/or engage in a mid-career change (Stone, 2019). Consequently, if older students are provided with additional support to aid their progression through the ITE pipeline, it could represent an opportunity to bolster future teacher workforce supply.

Figure 24: Completion rates by age; 2012-2017 commencing cohorts (undergraduate), 2012-2019 commencing cohorts (postgraduate)

Full-time status

Full-time ITE students, across both undergraduate and postgraduate programs, have consistently recorded higher completion rates than part-time students (Figure 25).

From the 2012 to 2017 commencing cohorts, 6-year completion rates for part-time undergraduate ITE students decreased by 4 percentage points to 26% – the lowest among all categories. Full-time undergraduate completion rates decreased by 5 percentage points to 54% over the same period.

From the 2014 to 2019 commencing cohorts, 4-year completion rates for postgraduate students studying part-time decreased by 24 percentage points to 32%. Full-time postgraduate completion rates decreased by 13 percentage points to 70% in the same period. The gap in completion rates between full-time and part-time postgraduate students narrowed from 43 percentage points in 2018 to 38 percentage points in 2019. However, this is due to full-time postgraduate completion rates decreasing at a faster rate than part-time completion rates, rather than an improvement in part-time completion rates.

Figure 25: Completion rates by full-time status and degree level; 2012-2017 commencing cohorts (undergraduate), 2014-2019 cohorts (postgraduate)

Basis of admission

All undergraduate basis of admission pathways recorded a decline in completion rates from the 2012 to 2017 commencing cohorts, except for admissions on the basis of prior higher education (Figure 26).

Generally, completion rates for students admitted via an ATAR greater than 70 are higher than for students entering via all other means. Among the 2017 undergraduate cohort entering on the basis of their ATAR, there was a broadly linear relationship between ATAR scores and completion rates. In the 2017 cohort, those with an ATAR between 80 and 99.95 recorded a completion rate of 64%. In comparison, those with an ATAR between 70 and 79.95 had a completion rate of 56% and those with an ATAR below 70 had a completion rate of 49%.

Notably, completion rates for students admitted on the basis of VET declined from the 2012 to 2017 commencing cohorts, falling by 15 percentage points to 35%. This decline for VET admission completion rates is likely to affect program types differently; 70% of all commencing undergraduate birth-5 ITE students are admitted on the basis of VET, compared to only 12% for primary programs and 7% for secondary programs (in 2022). This indicates that VET admission students may require additional support to aid their progression through the ITE pipeline (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership, 2024b).

Completion rates for students admitted on the basis of higher education increased from 39% in the 2012 commencing cohort to 45% in the 2017 commencing cohort. Admissions on the basis of higher education can be achieved through a complete or incomplete award course, or enabling/bridging course. Additionally, to the extent that these students are older, their completion rates may be impacted by ITE student age rather than basis of admission type.

Figure 26: Completion rates by basis of admission pathway, undergraduate ITE students; 2012-2017 commencing cohorts

Other characteristics

Two other student characteristics captured in the ATWD that completion rates vary by, gender and socioeconomic status, are presented below in Table 6 and Table 7. For undergraduate students, the 2012 and 2017 commencing cohorts were 6 years post-commencement in 2017 and 2022, respectively. For postgraduate students, the 2014 and 2019 commencing cohorts were 4 years post-commencement in 2017 and 2022, respectively.

In general, over time and across both undergraduate and postgraduate ITE programs, women have tended to have higher completion rates than men. This trend reversed in the 2019 commencing postgraduate cohort.

Students with a higher socio-economic status have generally recorded higher completion rates than students with a lower socio-economic status, across cohorts and degree levels. Notably, the gap in completion rates between students with a lower socio-economic status and a higher socio-economic status has widened over the last 6 cohorts, across both undergraduate and postgraduate students.

Table 6: Completion rates by undergraduate student characteristics; 2012 and 2017 commencing cohorts

 

Undergraduate completion rates

 

2012 commencing cohort

2017 commencing cohort

Gender

Men

46%

vs.

55%

Women

Men

43%

vs.

49%

Women

Socioeconomic status

Low

50%

vs.

55%

High

Low

43%

vs.

52%

High

Table 7: Completion rates by postgraduate student characteristics; 2014 and 2018 commencing cohorts

 

Postgraduate completion rates

 

2014 commencing cohort

2019 commencing cohort

Gender

Men

75%

vs.

79%

Women

Men

64%

vs.

62%

Women

Socioeconomic status

Low

75%

vs.

78%

High

Low

56%

vs.

69%

High

First-year attrition

First-year attrition rates refer to the percentage of students, as a proportion of all commencements, who did not progress to their second calendar year of ITE study. Year-on-year attrition is most routinely observed in the window between program commencement and the second year of study and provides an early indication of potential future declines in ITE program completion rates (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership, 2024c).

Over the period from 2012 to 2020,[36] and particularly since 2016, there has been a gradual convergence in first-year attrition rates across undergraduate and postgraduate ITE programs.

First-year attrition rates for postgraduate programs have trended slowly upwards, increasing from 13% in 2016 to 16% in 2020 (+3 percentage points). In contrast, undergraduate first-year attrition rates have gradually declined, decreasing from 21% in 2016 to 18% in 2020 (-3 percentage points).

Consequently, the gap in first-year attrition rates across undergraduate and postgraduate ITE programs has narrowed from 8 percentage points in 2016 to 2 percentage points in 2020, as seen below in Figure 27.

It is important to note that the increase in postgraduate attrition rates was influenced by important policy changes. From 2012 to 2018, both 1- and 2-year postgraduate programs were available to ITE students. However, 1-year programs were being phased out. Given that first-year attrition can only be meaningfully calculated for full-time students undertaking courses more than one year in duration, it does not apply to the 1-year programs that still existed during this period, resulting in a lower attrition rate at the postgraduate level. As more programs transitioned to being 2 years long, it was increasingly possible for students to choose not to progress to their second year of study, thereby increasing the first-year attrition rate. By 2019, no 1-year postgraduate programs existed, meaning that it is not possible to directly compare the 2019-2020 period to the 2016-2018 period, as the former would naturally have a much higher attrition rate that only reflects a change in program length, rather than student intentions.

Nevertheless, changes in first-year attrition rates have a bearing on future completion rates. The steady increase in postgraduate first-year attrition rates will result in a decline in future postgraduate completion rates, which in turn, could result in a decline in teacher workforce supply.

Figure 27: First-year attrition rates by degree level; 2016-2020

State of the pipeline

The ITE pipeline is the main source of teacher supply in Australia. Over the last decade, the ITE pipeline has undergone a period of change – including increases in the proportion of students studying online, changes to postgraduate program lengths, and significant disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The national trends described in this report explore the impact of these changes, and highlight the ongoing challenges in both attracting new students into the ITE pipeline and retaining them through to program completion.

The number of new students entering the ITE pipeline has been generally declining – ITE commencements fell by 24% between 2017 and 2022. ITE completion rates have also been consistently declining over time, across degree types and various student and study characteristics.

Online program completion rates are much lower, and decreasing at a faster rate, than on-campus programs. This is notable because the proportion of ITE students studying online increased over the decade, displacing some on-campus commencements. This has supply implications – if online completion rates do not improve over time, there may be a continued decrease in ITE completions, as fewer people successfully move through the pipeline to program completion. However, the proportion of online commencements stagnated from 2020 to 2022, which means completions may stabilise rather than continuing to decrease, from around 2025 onwards.

In addition to students studying online, those who study part-time and those aged 31 or over are less likely to complete their degree. Other cohorts have also experienced declines in completion rates, such as students admitted on the basis of VET. In order to combat these supply issues, there may be a need to provide additional, targeted support to these particular cohorts to improve completion rates.

As the student-aged population in Australia continues to grow at a steady pace, the ITE pipeline remains vital in ensuring there are enough teachers in every school and early learning setting. The shifting composition of the ITE pipeline, as well as changes in commencement and completion numbers, has been occurring within the context of a complex and intersecting suite of policy changes. It therefore remains to be seen whether emerging trends will continue in future years or what impact policy initiatives may have in this space.

As more ATWD data continues to become available each year, the ATWD will further leverage its longitudinal ITE dataset to explore these trends over time – continuing to build a comprehensive picture of the progression from ITE commencement to completion and entry into the teacher workforce.

References

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2023a). Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS). https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/statistical-geography/australian-statistical-geography-standard-asgs

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2023b). Overseas Migration. https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/population/overseas-migration/latest-release

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2024). National, state and territory population. https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/population/national-state-and-territory-population/latest-release

Australian Government Department of Education. (2023). Completion Rates of Higher Education Students—Cohort Analysis, 2005-2022. https://www.education.gov.au/higher-education-statistics/resources/completion-rates-higher-education-students-cohort-analysis-20052022

Australian Government Department of Education. (2024a). International Student Data for the year-to-date (YTD) May 2024. https://www.education.gov.au/international-education-data-and-research/resources/international-student-data-yeardate-ytd-may-2024

Australian Government Department of Education. (2024b). Performance-Based Funding for the Commonwealth Grant Scheme. https://www.education.gov.au/higher-education-reviews-and-consultations/performancebased-funding-commonwealth-grant-scheme

Australian Government Department of Education. (2024c). Selected Higher Education Statistics – 2023 Student data. https://www.education.gov.au/higher-education-statistics/resources/2023-student-summary-tables

Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership. (2022). Accreditation of initial teacher education programs in Australia: Standards and Procedures. https://www.aitsl.edu.au/docs/default-source/national-policy-framework/accreditation-of-initial-teacher-education-programs-in-australia.pdf?sfvrsn=e87cff3c_48

Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership. (2024a). Australian Teacher Workforce Data: Key Metrics Dashboard. https://www.aitsl.edu.au/research/australian-teacher-workforce-data/key-metrics-dashboard

Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership. (2024b). In Focus: Early Childhood Teachers (August 2024 ed.). https://www.aitsl.edu.au/atwd/in-focus/early-childhood-teachers

Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership. (2024c). National Trends: Initial Teacher Education Pipeline (Feb 2024 ed., 2005-2021). https://www.aitsl.edu.au/research/australian-teacher-workforce-data/atwdreports/national-trends-ite-pipeline-feb2024

Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership. (2024d). National Trends: Teacher Workforce (June 2024 ed., 2018-2022). https://www.aitsl.edu.au/research/australian-teacher-workforce-data/publications-and-data-tools/national-trends-teacher-workforce

Brett, M. (2016). Disability and Australian Higher Education: Policy Drivers for Increasing Participation. In A. Harvey, C. Burnheim, & M. Brett (Eds.), Student Equity in Australian Higher Education: Twenty-five years of A Fair Chance for All (pp. 87–108). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-0315-8_6

Stone, C. (2019). Online learning in Australian higher education: Opportunities, challenges and transformations. Student Success, 10(2), 1–11. https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.592230377097081

Tertiary Collection of Student Information. (2024). Regional and remote—Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) measure. https://www.tcsisupport.gov.au/node/7962

  1. The Australian Government Department of Education has identified the historic undersupply of a small number of commencing student ITE records to the ATWD. Due to the data improvements which take place as a result of linkage, these students have been included in commencement numbers at the start of their second year of study (the first year available to the ATWD).
  2. Early childhood programs are approved by the Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) under the National Quality Framework.
  3. It is difficult to interpret differences in data on ITE programs from pre- and post-2012 as it is ambiguous whether the difference should be attributed to time or to the changes in policy context introduced through the Standards and Procedures.
  4. Program duration is measured based on full-time equivalent years of study. Some ITE providers offer 2-year programs over shorter durations, such as 1.5 years.
  5. Performance-based funding is intended to ensure universities focus sufficient attention on the quality of their teaching and student support to ultimately achieve the best possible graduate outcomes (Australian Government Department of Education, 2024b).
  6. Commencements include the overall number of students who successfully enrol in a new program of study, between 1 January and 31 December of the collection year, for the first time in that year. A person may have multiple commencements recorded when they do not complete a program of study.
  7. In the 2022 Higher Education Student Data Collection (Australian Government Department of Education, 2024c), many continuing students enrolled at Southern Cross University were flagged as commencing. The ATWD has been able to use other linked data from the collection to more accurately reflect the situation at Southern Cross University and subsequently NSW and National ITE commencement figures. These data improvements ensure that the commencement time-series are valid and comparable over time.
  8. Excludes enabling and non-award courses.
  9. Refers to a student’s place of residence, not the state in which they are enrolled in ITE.
  10. Collapsed version of the Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) Remoteness Structure (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2023a). ‘Regional or remote’ students are those whose residential address postcode primarily covers an inner regional, outer regional, remote or very remote area (Tertiary Collection of Student Information, 2024). Due to limitations in the collection of remoteness data for ITE students, it is not currently possible to disambiguate between inner and outer regional areas or remote and very remote areas.
  11. Socio-economic status (SES) reflects students' residential address as matched against the SEIFA Index of Education and Occupation by postal area. Postal areas in the bottom 25% of the population aged 15-64 are classified as low SES, the middle 50% are classified as medium SES and the top 25% are classified as high SES. Some individuals are missing SES data.
  12. Domestic students include Australian citizens, New Zealand citizens, and permanent residents.
  13. Mode of attendance refers to how ITE students engage with the learning content of their ITE program. The modes of attendance are: internal (students attend classes exclusively on campus), external (students attend classes exclusively online), and multi-modal (students attend classes both on campus and online). For students commencing their ITE program, mode of attendance reflects the students’ attendance in the first year of their program. Students’ mode of attendance is based on the units they enrol in. For example, when a unit is offered in a multi-modal manner, a student may actually be studying in-person, to a greater or lesser degree, or they may be enrolled in a combination of online and in-person units.
  14. Basis of admission: The basis by which a university accepted a student into an ITE program. Basis of admission is only reported for students at the time of commencement into their degree.
  15. 'Other basis’ includes admission through professional experience and circumstances where no basis of entry is recorded, in addition to any basis of entry outside of an admission through a secondary pathway (with or without ATAR), admission on the basis of prior higher education or vocational education and training, or as a mature age student.
  16. ATAR: the Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank is a number between 0 and 99.95 that indicates position within a school year cohort.
  17. Birth-8 and birth-12 programs have been collapsed due to cell size requirements.
  18. While every student admitted via an ATAR score comes via a secondary education pathway, not all students admitted via secondary pathways will be admitted based on their ATAR scores.
  19. Enrolments include every initial teacher education (ITE) student or student in an ACECQA-accredited early childhood teaching program who has been admitted to a program at a higher education provider at the census date, is still entitled to continue with their studies, and has not formally indicated before the census date that they have withdrawn from or deferred their studies (i.e., all students in the ITE pipeline across all stages of enrolment or years of study).
  20. A technical complication was discovered after the supply of ITE completions data to the ATWD. Due to this, an unknown number of ITE students that the ATWD would treat as 2022 completions were not able to be identified. Although these students were not recorded as completing their studies in the 2022 ITE data supplied to the ATWD from TCSI, they appear in reporting on the Department of Education’s website. While many unflagged ITE completions were able to be identified through the ATWD linkage process, it is likely that not all completions were identified. This will be rectified in future editions when the data source is updated.
  21. Completion records for 2020 and 2021 were sourced from ATWD Wave 5 data collection.
  22. Completion records for 2020 and 2021 were sourced from ATWD Wave 5 data collection.
  23. Primary ITE programs: 38%; secondary ITE programs: 39%.
  24. The true increase of primary and secondary programs from 2012 to 2017 may be slightly smaller than reported, due to a reduction in the number of programs with an unknown type following an increase in ITE program type recording over this period.
  25. Early childhood and early childhood/primary ITE program completions – 2022: birth-5: 646; birth-8: 622; birth-12: 997
  26. In more recent years, birth-8 and birth-12 programs can be clearly separated. In earlier years, some people are known to be in either a birth-8 or birth-12 program, but the exact type of program is unclear. These numbers are substantially lower for students commencing after 2012. When it is unclear whether a student undertook a birth-8 or birth-12 program they are randomly allocated to one of these programs in proportion with their degree level and state for reporting purposes.
  27. This includes programs with insufficient administrative data to allow classification.
  28. A cohort is the group of students who commenced an ITE program in a specific year. For example, the 2022 commencing cohort describes all new students who started ITE in 2022.
  29. These were not the majority of undergraduate ITE programs prior to 2012.
  30. Postgraduate ITE cohorts tend to be smaller in size than undergraduate ITE cohorts. Consequently, there are some postgraduate cohorts where completion rates data is unable to be published.
  31. Postgraduate ITE program cohorts are smaller in size than undergraduate ITE program cohorts, and should be interpreted with caution.
  32. Postgraduate early childhood (birth-5) and postgraduate early childhood/primary (birth-8 and birth-12) ITE programs have smaller cohort sizes than other postgraduate program types. As a result, postgraduate early childhood/primary completion rates data could not be published for 2014, and postgraduate early childhood completion rates data could only be published for 2019. Changes to early childhood/primary completion rates should be interpreted with caution due to low counts.
  33. Student characteristics are measured at the commencement of ITE study, and study characteristics (e.g., mode of attendance) at the end of the first year of ITE study. It is therefore possible that these characteristics may change over the duration of the ITE program.
  34. Covariance is a measure of the relationship between 2 random variables, and the extent to which these variables move together.
  35. On-campus and multi-modal modes of attendance have been collapsed for reporting purposes. Across past cohorts, reported on-campus and multi-modal completion rates have been similar (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership, 2024c).
  36. To ensure greater reporting accuracy, the ATWD now reports first-year attrition data with a 2-year lag. This lag in reporting enables the ATWD to identify students who, after completing their first year of study, take a gap year, and then return to study in the following year.