Secondary Students in Crisis: Engagement, Attendance, and Learning Gaps Widen Across Australia

Half of Victorian secondary school students report a low sense of belonging and engagement, while national data reveals persistent absenteeism and growing learning divides between advantaged and disadvantaged students.

Secondary Student Engagement and Belonging in Victoria

The Victorian government's Attitudes to School Survey collected responses from more than 380,000 students across the state's public school system.

Key Findings

• 50.2% of students in years 7 to 9 reported having a sense of belonging in their school.
• 52.8% of students in those years said their teachers make them interested in learning.
• These figures represent a sharp decline from primary school levels, where 77% of students in years 4 to 6 reported feeling they belong, and 88.9% said their teachers keep them interested.
• The data shows a 3.1% improvement in students' sense of connection to school from 2024 to 2025.

Perspectives from Experts and Families

"Low engagement rates among older students represent a significant problem for the education system."
— David Loader, chair of the Institute for Educational Reform

Loader's group suggests reforms could include measuring students on personal growth rather than pass-fail terms, updating curriculum to include AI and current affairs discussion, and greater separation of students by ability level.

A Department of Education spokesperson attributed the recent improvements to cost-of-living relief, mental health and disability inclusion programs, and the government's Navigator program, which re-engages students in education. The spokesperson noted that student disengagement in years 7 to 9 is a nationwide and international issue.

Brodie Ibrahim, a year 9 student, stated that he is rarely engaged at school and finds the system "outdated and rigid." He described an incident where teachers asked him to remove overlapping themes from a Gothic short story assignment, resulting in a mark he considered below standard.

Sophie Minas, Ibrahim's mother, said he sometimes disrupts classes due to a lack of engagement and pursues learning independently online.

"The transition from primary to high school is challenging due to social awareness, independence, puberty, and stress."
— Amy Cooper, psychologist

Cooper emphasized the importance of early identification of students' learning needs and connecting curriculum to their interests.

Teachers have expressed support for using explicit instruction as a foundation while maintaining critical thinking opportunities, and for greater separation of students by ability.

National School Absenteeism

National attendance data, analyzed by the Productivity Commission and the Grattan Institute, shows a persistent trend of student absenteeism.

Key Findings

• National attendance rates for years 7-10 dropped by 4 percent since 2019, reaching 86.5%.
• Younger students in year 7 showed higher attendance (89.5%) compared to older students in year 10 (84.5%).
• In Victoria, attendance for years 7-10 decreased from 92.4% in 2016 to 86.9% in 2025.
• The Grattan Institute found that over one in 10 Australian students are absent daily, with about 40% missing at least one day every two weeks.
• The trend of absenteeism is more pronounced in government schools (84% attendance) compared to non-government schools (89.9%).
• Federal Education Minister Jason Clare stated that national attendance rates for years 1-10 improved to 88.8% in 2025, up from 88.3% in 2024. The government has set a target to increase student attendance to over 90% by 2030.

A Student's Experience

Mimi Highgate, 14, experienced school refusal starting in year 4 during the COVID-19 pandemic, reporting symptoms of panic and anxiety. Mimi, who has ADHD, autism, and dyslexia, now participates in the Hands on Learning program at Mount Eliza Secondary College. Developed by Save the Children, the program focuses on capability building and social-emotional goal-setting through practical activities.

Mimi's mother, Laura, highlighted the emotional toll of school refusal and the importance of parental advocacy.

Learning Gaps Based on Socioeconomic Background

A study by Victoria University's Mitchell Institute analyzed 17 years of NAPLAN data (2008-2025), measuring learning gaps by comparing scores against parental occupation and education.

Key Findings

• In Year 3, students with a parent holding a bachelor's degree were on average 2 years and 3 months ahead of students whose parents had not completed school.
• By Year 9, this gap widened to 4 years and 3 months.
• The only exception was Year 9 numeracy, where the gap narrowed by 3.2 months (based on parental occupation) and 2.3 months (based on parental education).

Causes and Responses

"Australia experienced the largest increase in school socioeconomic segregation among 50 OECD countries over the past 20 years."
— Unpublished research cited in the Mitchell Institute report

The report attributes the widening gaps to increased competition between schools, a growing private school sector, inequitable funding, and selective enrolment practices.

Federal Education Minister Jason Clare stated that the Better Fairer Schools Agreement with states and territories aims to address the gap through reforms including phonics checks, numeracy checks, and small group tutoring.

The report recommends explicit policy focus on funding schools in disadvantaged areas, targeted early learning intervention, and full-service school models that integrate education, health, and social services.

Proposed Reforms to Grading and Assessment

Geoff Masters, an education expert and member of the International Baccalaureate board of governors, has proposed replacing traditional A-F letter grades with a system that tracks student progress over time.

"Letter grades only reflect performance on recent material and do not indicate how far individual students are ahead or behind their year level."
— Geoff Masters

Masters suggests grouping students across multiple year levels for instruction in subjects like mathematics. He plans to present his ideas at The Age Schools Summit on June 10, 2026, in Melbourne.