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New high for retention SOUTH Australia's school retention rate has reached its highest level in 12 years.74.5 per cent of students who started Year 8 in a State high school in 2003 were retained in the public school system to Year 12 in 2007 - a 2.1 per cent increase compared to 2006. Education Minister Jane Lomax-Smith says it's the highest Year 8 to 12 full-time equivalent student retention rate since 1995 when the rate was 76.5 per cent. "The State's high schools are to be applauded for this result," Dr Lomax-Smith says. "School leaders, teachers and support officers have worked hard to keep young South Australians engaged in school for longer to give them the hope of a brighter future. "The State Government put the spotlight on school retention after being elected to government in 2002, initially funding a $28.4m school retention initiative. "Now we are embarking on major reform of the State's senior secondary system to give young people more relevant and flexible opportunities to learn and gain skills. "That includes establishing 10 new Trade Schools for the Future, overhauling the State's high school certificate and raising the compulsory education age to 17 from 2009. "Our $84 million package of 'school to work' measures will begin to reshape senior secondary education from next year. "We are also working on a new measure of school retention that will recognise young people in all forms of education, in line with our reforms. "Every student has been given a unique identification number which we hope, in time, will help us to track their movements through school and beyond. "During the Liberals' time in government, school retention rates plummeted to an all-time low of 67.2 per cent in 1999, down from 92.6 per cent when Labor last held office in 1993. "These gains in the school retention rate are pleasing. We have more work to do, but we have laid the groundwork and have plans in place for the future. "With business booming in South Australia and billions of dollars worth of major projects underway or in the pipeline, we cannot afford to have students out of school, work or training." |
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