Attaining a higher level of education is generally associated with better employment outcomes and higher income, which are key factors in attaining economic security and independence.
An estimated 1 in 10 (10%) school students (aged 5–18) in Australia have disability, and almost 1 in 18 (5.4%) have severe or profound disability. Almost all (89%) children and young people aged 5–18 with disability go to primary or secondary school – the same proportion as for those without disability.
Most (89%) school students with disability go to a mainstream school, while 12% go to a special school; 1 in 5 (20%) students with severe or profound disability attend a special school. Of school students with disability who attend a mainstream school, those with severe or profound disability (21%) are more likely than other students with disability (13%) to go to special classes in a mainstream school (2018).
People with disability are more likely than people without disability to leave school early and to have a lower level of education.
Table 11: Level of educational attainment, by disability status
| Level of educational attainment |
With disability(a) |
Without disability(a) |
|
Aged 15–64 who left school before age 16(b)
|
21%
|
8.9%
|
|
Aged 20 and over who have completed year 12
|
34%
|
66%
|
|
Aged 20 and over who have a Bachelor degree or higher
|
17%
|
35%
|
(a) Living in households (2018).
(b) Who acquired disability before age 15.
There have been improvements in school retention for people with disability over time – people with disability who left school in more recent years are less likely to have left school before age 16. Around 1 in 10 (11%) people aged 15–24 who acquired disability before age 15 left school before age 16, compared with 3.6% of those without disability.
Whether a person has completed year 12 varies by age, with those in the older age ranges less likely to have done so. Among people aged:
- 20–24, 68% of people with disability had completed year 12 or equivalent, compared with 85% of people without disability
- 50–54, 38% compared with 56%
- 85 and over, 15% compared with 20% (2018).
Most school students with disability (57%) receive support at school, though not all students with disability who need support with their education receive it: 1 in 10 (10%) school students who need support do not receive it and 1 in 5 (21%) who receive support need more.
Around 1 in 12 (8.3%) people aged 15–64 who are studying for a non-school qualification have disability. Very few (1.5%) have severe or profound disability. People with disability aged 15–64 are less likely to be studying for a non-school qualification (9.1%) than people without disability (15%).
For more information, including breakdowns by sex and age, and lists of data sources, see the full web report.