School leavers with higher qualifications

Regional Comparison

Downloads

Knowledge and Skills:

pdf - 530kb

School leavers with higher qualifications

Definition

The proportion of secondary school leavers who leave school with qualifications higher than National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) Level 1.

Relevance

Upper secondary education serves as the foundation for higher (post-secondary) learning and training opportunities as well as the preparation for direct entry into the labour market. Those who leave school early with few qualifications are at a much greater risk of unemployment or vulnerability in the labour force and of having low incomes.⁴⁰

Current level and trends

In 2004, 69 percent of school leavers (38,000) left school with qualifications higher than NCEA Level 1, an increase from 67 percent in 2003. This proportion has increased considerably from 47 percent in 1986. However, most of the increase occurred in the late-1980s. Since 1990, the proportion has fluctuated between 63 percent and 69 percent.

The lack of sustained growth in the proportion of school leavers with higher qualifications since the early-1990s may be explained, in part, by an increase in employment and training opportunities for those without higher qualifications.

Figure K2.1 Proportion of school leavers with qualifications higher than NCEA Level 1, by sex, 1986–2004

Graph showing Proportion of school leavers with qualifications higher than NCEA Level 1, by sex, 1986–2004

Source: Ministry of Education
Note: Before 2004, these included Sixth Form Certificate, Higher School Certificate, Entrance Qualification and University Bursary. From 2004, the equivalent qualifications are: 30 or more credits at NCEA Level 2, NCEA Level 2, 30 or more credits at NCEA Level 3, and NCEA Level 3 or higher

Sex differences

In 2004, 73 percent of female school leavers had qualifications higher than NCEA Level 1, compared to 65 percent of males. Between 1986 and 2004 the proportion of school leavers with higher qualifications improved at a faster rate for females than for males.

Table K2.1 Proportion (%) of school leavers with qualifications higher than NCEA Level 1, by sex, selected years, 1986–2004

	Males	Females
1986	45.2	48.1
1991	63.5	69.2
1996	59.0	66.5
2001	59.4	68.1
2002	59.0	67.6
2003	63.2	71.2
2004	65.0	72.8

Ethnic differences

The proportion of Māori school leavers with qualifications higher than NCEA Level 1 increased from 45 percent in 2003 to 47 percent in 2004. Among Pacific school leavers, the proportion with higher qualifications increased from 59 percent in 2003 to 61 percent in 2004. However, these improved outcomes for Māori and Pacific students had little effect on ethnic differences in school attainment because there were also increases in the proportion of European and Asian school leavers with higher qualifications between 2003 and 2004 (from 72 to 74 percent for European students and from 86 to 87 percent for Asian students).

Table K2.2 Proportion (%) of school leavers with qualifications higher than NCEA Level 1, by ethnic group, selected years, 1996–2004

	European	Māori	Pacific	Asian	Other	Total
1996	68.9	37.4	53.7	81.5	60.0	62.7
2001	68.5	40.6	54.7	84.7	63.7	63.6
2002	68.4	38.9	53.5	84.4	67.7	63.3
2003	71.6	45.0	58.9	86.4	70.7	67.1
2004	73.6	47.4	61.5	86.9	73.2	68.8

Socio-economic differences

Young people from schools that draw their students from low socio-economic communities are less likely than other young people to attain higher school qualifications. In 2004, only 54 percent of school leavers from deciles 1–3 schools (in the most disadvantaged communities) attained qualifications higher than NCEA Level 1, compared with 67 percent of those leaving deciles 4–7 schools and 81 percent of those leaving deciles 8–10 schools.

Regional differences

The Marlborough region had the highest proportion (78 percent) of 2004 school leavers with qualifications higher than NCEA Level 1, followed by Nelson and Otago (each 75 percent), Southland (74 percent), Auckland and Wellington (each 73 percent). Tasman and Northland had the lowest proportions (each 58 percent), followed by the West Coast (59 percent) and the Bay of Plenty (61 percent).

^ top