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City of Newcastle

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander profile - Education institution attending

38% of the City of Newcastle's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population attend an educational institution.

The share of City of Newcastle’s first nations population attending educational institutions reflects the age structure of the population, which influences the number of children attending school. Other influences include the proportion of children finishing school, leading to tertiary education, as well as the availability of tertiary education nearby.

First Nations populations are usually younger than the total population. For this reason, first nations populations often have large proportions attending primary or secondary schools. For remote areas, the availability of tertiary education and in some cases secondary education may also be a factor.

This data is often combined with Age Structure to look at the proportions of each age group attending the type of education relevant for that age group. Also look at Highest Level of Schooling completed and Highest Education Attainment.

Derived from the Census question:

'What type of educational institution is the person attending?'

Total population

Education institution attending
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples - City of Newcastle20212011Change
Type of institutionNumber%New South Wales - First Nations %Number%New South Wales - First Nations %2011 to 2021
Pre-school2733.74.0972.53.3+176
Primary school96012.915.547012.014.9+490
Secondary school6989.410.63308.410.8+368
TAFE/Vocational3244.43.51423.63.2+182
University4866.62.22235.71.6+263
Other660.90.6280.70.6+38
Not attending4,48160.459.72,32959.256.8+2,152
Not stated1271.73.93148.08.8-187

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2011 and 2021. Compiled and presented by .id (informed decisions).

Education institution attending, 2021
Education institution attending, 2021 Pre-school, New South Wales - First Nations: 4.0% Primary school, New South Wales - First Nations: 15.5% Secondary school, New South Wales - First Nations: 10.6% TAFE/Vocational, New South Wales - First Nations: 3.5% University, New South Wales - First Nations: 2.2% Other, New South Wales - First Nations: 0.6% Pre-school, City of Newcastle - First Nations: 3.7% Primary school, City of Newcastle - First Nations: 12.9% Secondary school, City of Newcastle - First Nations: 9.4% TAFE/Vocational, City of Newcastle - First Nations: 4.4% University, City of Newcastle - First Nations: 6.6% Other, City of Newcastle - First Nations: 0.9%
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing, 2021 (Usual residence data)
Compiled and presented in profile.id by .id (informed decisions).
Change in education institution attending, 2011 to 2021
Change in education institution attending, 2011 to 2021 Pre-school, City of Newcastle: +176 Primary school, City of Newcastle: +490 Secondary school, City of Newcastle: +368 TAFE/Vocational, City of Newcastle: +182 University, City of Newcastle: +263 Other, City of Newcastle: +38
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing, 2011 and 2021 (Usual residence data)
Compiled and presented in profile.id by .id (informed decisions).

Dominant groups

Analysis of the share of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population attending educational institutions in the City of Newcastle in 2021 compared to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population in New South Wales shows that there was a lower proportion attending primary school, a lower proportion attending secondary school, and a higher proportion engaged in tertiary level education.

Overall, 12.9% of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population were attending primary school, 9.4% of the population were attending secondary institutions, and 10.9% were learning at a tertiary level, compared with 15.5%, 10.6% and 5.7% respectively for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population in New South Wales.

The major differences between the share of the population attending learning institutions of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population in the City of Newcastle and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population in New South Wales was:

  • A larger percentage of people University (6.6% compared to 2.2%)
  • A smaller percentage of people attending primary school (12.9% compared to 15.5%)
  • A smaller percentage of people attending other educational institutions (9.4% compared to 10.6%)

Emerging groups

From 2011 to 2021, City of Newcastle's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population increased by 3,482 people (+88.5%). This represents an average annual change of 6.55% per year over the period.

The largest changes in the number of people attending education institutions in the City of Newcastle, between 2011 and 2021 were in those who nominated:

  • Primary school (+490 people)
  • Secondary school (+368 people)
  • University (+263 people)
  • TAFE/Vocational (+182 people)

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