1. Student enrolment

Appendix 1

 

 

‘Primary’ denotes Kindergarten to Year 6 and ‘Secondary’ spans Years 7 to 12 unless specified otherwise.

 

 

Table A1: Students at Western Australian schools by sector 2007 to 2021(a)(b)

  Year     Public schools     Non-government schools     Total  
2007 253,209 123,216 376,425
2008 253,838 127,248 381,086
2009 258,132 131,240 389,372
2010 258,115 134,335 392,450
2011 261,013 137,372 398,385
2012 268,129 140,006 408,135
2013 276,275 142,883 419,158
2014 283,739 144,877 428,616
2015 292,952 148,980 441,932
2016 296,377 148,545 444,922
2017 302,271 147,471 449,742
2018 307,520 147,813 455,333
2019 311,199 148,836 460,035
2020 317,368 149,949 467,317
2021 319,574 154,154 473,728

Source: System and School Performance
(a) Semester 1 student census. Primary and full-time secondary students. Public schools include community kindergartens and non-government schools include Independent pre-schools.
(b) Half cohort progressed through school from 2001 to 2014 inclusive, entering secondary education in 2010.

 

 

 

Table A2: Schools and students in Western Australia by sector and subgroup 2021(a)(b)

Sector Schools Students
All Female Male Aboriginal
Public 822 319,574 154,113 165,354 27,330
Non-government 312 154,154 76,947 77,197 5,576
Total 1,134 473,728 231,060 242,551 32,906

Source: System and School Performance
(a) Semester 1 student census. Primary and full-time secondary students. Public schools include community kindergartens.
(b) All includes gender category ‘Other’.

 

 

 

Table A3: Students at Western Australian schools by year level and sector 2021(a)

  Year level     Public schools     Non-government schools     Total  
Pre-Kindergarten – 1,702 1,702
Kindergarten 24,263 8,518 32,781
Pre-primary 26,535 9,062 35,597
Year 1 25,909 8,941 34,850
Year 2 26,018 9,287 35,305
Year 3 26,049 9,339 35,388
Year 4 25,095 9,786 34,881
Year 5 24,899 10,127 35,026
Year 6 24,503 10,357 34,860
Year 7 20,892 13,410 34,302
Year 8 21,413 13,817 35,230
Year 9 20,655 13,424 34,079
Year 10 19,548 12,834 32,382
Year 11 18,286 12,372 30,658
Year 12 15,470 11,178 26,648
Primary total 203,271 77,119 280,390
Secondary total 116,303 77,035 193,338
Grand total 319,574 154,154 473,728

Source: System and School Performance
(a) Semester 1 student census. Primary and full-time secondary students. Public schools include community kindergartens. Totals include ungraded students.

 

 

 

Table A4: Students at Western Australian public schools by level of education and subgroup 2021(a)(b)

Level of education All Female Male Aboriginal
Primary 203,271 98,050 105,207 17,464
Secondary 116,303 56,063 60,147 9,866
Total 319,574 154,113 165,354 27,330

Source: System and School Performance
(a) Semester 1 student census. Primary and full-time secondary students. Includes community kindergartens.
(b) All includes gender category ‘Other’.

 

 

 

Table A5: Western Australian public schools and students by school type and level of education 2021(a)

School type Schools Students
Primary Secondary Total
Community kindergarten 18 477 0 477
Primary(b) 567 190,171 551 190,722
District high 53 7,230 4,019 11,249
Kindergarten–Year 12(c) 6 2,010 1,903 3,913
Secondary 112 0 108,039 108,039
Education support(d) 64 3,278 1,773 5,051
Specialist services(e) 2 105 18 123
Total 822 203,271 116,303 319,574

Source: System and School Performance
(a) Semester 1 student census. Primary and full-time secondary students.
(b) Includes schools of the air and remote community schools.
(c) Includes School of Isolated and Distance Education.
(d) Includes language development school and centres.
(e) Comprises School of Special Educational Needs: Behaviour and Engagement and School of Special Educational Needs: Sensory.

 

 

 

Table A6: Students at Western Australian public schools by year level 2017 to 2021(a)

Year level 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Kindergarten 24,543 24,644 24,397 25,060 24,263
Pre-primary 25,174 25,953 25,839 25,785 26,535
Year 1 25,465 25,444 26,075 26,130 25,909
Year 2 25,102 25,425 25,417 26,197 26,018
Year 3 24,853 25,064 25,344 25,427 26,049
Year 4 25,172 24,708 24,985 25,288 25,095
Year 5 24,301 24,775 24,351 24,777 24,899
Year 6 22,737 24,132 24,644 24,227 24,503
Year 7 18,673 19,679 20,824 21,594 20,892
Year 8 17,970 18,762 19,612 20,854 21,413
Year 9 17,582 18,057 18,702 19,663 20,655
Year 10 17,462 17,576 17,923 18,760 19,548
Year 11 18,088 17,954 17,839 18,288 18,286
Year 12 15,075 15,278 15,159 15,235 15,470
Primary total 197,347 200,145 201,052 202,891 203,271
Secondary total 104,924 107,375 110,147 114,477 116,303
Grand total 302,271 307,520 311,199 317,368 319,574

Source: System and School Performance
(a) Semester 1 student census. Primary and full-time secondary students. Includes community kindergartens. Totals include ungraded students.

 

 

 

Table A7: Proportion (%) of students by geolocation of Western Australian public schools by level of education 2021(a)(b)

  Geolocation(c)       Primary     Secondary All  
Metropolitan

77.1

 76.3 76.8
Inner regional

8.3

 9.1 8.6
Outer regional

7.0

 8.1 7.4
Remote

4.7

 4.1 4.5
Very remote

2.9

 2.4 2.7

Source: System and School Performance
(a) Semester 1 student census. Primary and full-time secondary students. Includes community kindergartens.
(b) Percentages may not add to 100% due to rounding.
(c) Australian Bureau of Statistics Australian Statistical Geography Standard, based on location of students’ schools.

 

 

 

Table A8: Western Australian public schools and students by education region and level of education 2021(a)

Education region Schools Students
Primary Secondary Total
Metropolitan
North Metropolitan 249 75,324 41,977 117,301
South Metropolitan 267 84,223 47,528 131,751
Total 516 159,547 89,505 249,052
Country(b)
Goldfields 38 5,316 2,747 8,063
Kimberley 23 3,454 2,063 5,517
Midwest 47 4,995 2,818 7,813
Pilbara 29 6,671 3,056 9,727
South West 100 17,898 12,700 30,598
Wheatbelt 69 5,390 3,414 8,804
Total 306 43,724 26,798 70,522
Grand total 822 203,271 116,303 319,574

Source: System and School Performance
(a) Semester 1 student census. Primary and full-time secondary students. Includes community kindergartens.
(b) Defined as all non-metropolitan education regions.

 

 

Figure A1: Aboriginal students at Western Australian public schools by level of education 2007 to 2021(a)(b)(c)

A stacked column chart showing the number of Aboriginal public school students by primary, secondary and all. The total number of Aboriginal students increased from 20,974 in 2007 to 26,688 in 2020 and 27,330 in 2021. The number of Aboriginal primary students gradually increased from 14,427 in 2007 to 17,056 in 2014. It then decreased to 15,739 in 2015 when Year 7 moved to secondary, and has steadily increased thereafter to 17,250 in 2020 and 17,464 in 2021. The number of Aboriginal secondary students gradually increased from 6,547 in 2007 to 6,755 in 2009. There was a substantial decrease to 5,824 in 2010 which was due to the half cohort entering secondary, followed by a gradual increase to 6,163 in 2014. In 2015 there was a substantial increase to 8,379 after the half cohort exited secondary at the end of 2014 and the move of Year 7 to secondary. Since then the secondary numbers have increased gradually to 9,438 in 2020 and 9,866 in 2021.

Source: System and School Performance
(a) Semester 1 student census. Primary and full-time secondary students. Includes community kindergartens.
(b) Year 7 included in secondary from 2015. Prior to this Year 7 included in primary.
(c) Half cohort progressed through school from 2001 to 2014 inclusive, entering secondary education in 2010.

 

 

Table A9: Aboriginal students at Western Australian public schools by year level 2017 to 2021(a)

Year level 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Kindergarten 1,854 1,860 1,800 1,897 1,893
Pre-primary 2,020 2,115 2,137 2,151 2,224
Year 1 2,123 2,108 2,181 2,234 2,242
Year 2 2,073 2,160 2,139 2,240 2,280
Year 3 2,134 2,074 2,192 2,173 2,267
Year 4 2,095 2,141 2,125 2,218 2,201
Year 5 2,129 2,128 2,169 2,129 2,226
Year 6 2,032 2,156 2,144 2,208 2,131
Year 7 1,714 1,856 1,975 1,979 2,003
Year 8 1,584 1,726 1,858 1,958 1,994
Year 9 1,570 1,530 1,637 1,789 1,886
Year 10 1,457 1,464 1,390 1,549 1,735
Year 11 1,262 1,301 1,362 1,245 1,371
Year 12 816 852 893 918 877
Primary total 16,460 16,742 16,887 17,250 17,464
Secondary total 8,403 8,729 9,115 9,438 9,866
Grand total 24,863 25,471 26,002 26,688 27,330

Source: System and School Performance
(a) Semester 1 student census. Primary and full-time secondary students. Includes community kindergartens. Totals include ungraded students.

 

 

 

Table A10: Aboriginal students at Western Australian public schools by education region 2021(a)

Education region Aboriginal All Aboriginal students as % of all public school students
Metropolitan
    North Metropolitan 5,245 117,301 4.5
     South Metropolitan 7,835 131,751 5.9
Total 13,080 249,052 5.3
Country(b)
     Goldfields 1,855 8,063 23.0
     Kimberley 3,405 5,517 61.7
     Midwest 2,368 7,813 30.3
     Pilbara 2,735 9,727 28.1
     South West 2,375 30,598 7.8
     Wheatbelt 1,512 8,804 17.2
Total 14,250 70,522 20.2
Grand total 27,330 319,574 8.6

Source: System and School Performance
(a) Semester 1 student census. Primary and full-time secondary students. Includes community kindergartens.
(b) Defined as all non-metropolitan education regions.

 

 

 

Table A11: Students registered to receive home education 2017 to 2021(a)(b)

2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
3,464 3,563 3,720 4,116 4,562

Source: Statewide Services
(a) Under the School Education Act 1999 (WA), we are responsible for regulation of home education, including evaluation of home education programs and educational progress of students.
(b) As at March. 

 

 

 

Table A12: Western Australian non-government schools and students by school type and level of education 2021(a)(b)

School type Schools Students
Primary Secondary Total
Primary 144 39,449 0 39,449
Primary–secondary 123 37,670 49,496 87,166
Secondary 45 0 27,539 27,539
Total 312 77,119 77,035 154,154

Source: System and School Performance
(a) Semester 1 student census. Primary and full-time secondary students.
(b) Primary includes pre-Kindergarten students at non-government schools. 

 

 

 

Table A13: Non‑government schools and students by religious affiliation of school 2020 and 2021(a)

Religious affiliation Schools Students
  2020 2021 2020 2021
No religious affiliation 53 53 7,476 7,957
Total religious affiliation 258 259 142,473 146,197
   Anglican 19 19 22,069 22,530
   Baptist 15 15 10,791 11,416
   Catholic 164 165 78,521 79,839
   Seventh Day Adventist 5 5 717 689
   Uniting Church 8 8 8,459 8,338
   Various other 47 47 21,916 23,385
Grand total 311 312 149,949 154,154

Source: System and School Performance
(a) Semester 1 student census. Primary and full-time secondary students.

 

 

 

Table A14: Students at Western Australian residential colleges 2012 to 2021(a)

College 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Albany 97 80 81 86 94 82 69 66 67 71
Broome 77 51 72 73 72 102 99 81 75 58
City Beach 69 60 57 54 56 52 54 56 45 47
Esperance 86 75 73 82 79 95 87 83 80 80
Geraldton 89 89 62 60 80 68 55 62 49 53
Merredin 44 47 48 59 60 41 37 37 37 39
Moora 40 30 28 34 35 32 26 26 37 42
Narrogin 142 133 124 125 113 102 92 93 83 68
Northam 21 19 18 21 24 19 13 9 14 21
Total 665 584 563 594 613 593 532 513 487 479

Source: Schools Division
(a) Semester 1 student census.