Education and work

Student enrolment

249,103 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students were enrolled in Australian schools in 2021 including:

• 21,464 in Pre-Year 1 (Foundation Year)
• 123,940 in Years 1 to 6
• 101,402 in Years 7 to 12
• 2,297 in ungraded schooling (Figure EW 2; ABS 2022).

In 2021, among Indigenous students:

• 83% (206,473 students) were enrolled in government schools.
• 11% (26,829 students) were enrolled in Catholic schools.
• 6% (15,801 students) were enrolled in independent schools (Figure EW 3).

In 2021, the number of Indigenous students enrolled by state and territory ranged between:

• 48,816 (New South Wales) and 1,416 (Australian Capital Territory) in Years 1 to 6 (including pre-year 1, or foundation year).
• 26,977 (New South Wales) and 725 (Australian Capital Territory) in Years 7 to 10.
• 7,512 (Queensland) and 309 (Australian Capital Territory) in Year 11 to 12 (Figure EW 4).