Dimension 5: Preparing for adulthood
Aboriginal
Outcome
Young South Australians participate actively in society
Indicators
- Children and young people develop skills for an independent life
- Children and young people participate in decisions that affect them directly and the wider society
- Children and young people are engaged in community activities
What we know from the most recent data…
Children and young people develop skills for an independent life
Literacy and numeracy of Year 9 students
The percentage of Aboriginal Year 9 students in SA achieving or exceeding the national minimum standards for reading, writing and numeracy were as follows:
• reading was 27.8% in 2023 (28.8% nationally)
• writing was 23.5% in 2023 (25.3% nationally)
• numeracy was 23.0% in 2023 (26.7% nationally).
Note: The 2023 NAPLAN results for Year 9 cannot be compared to the results from 2008 to 2022 because of changes in how the level of proficiency is determined.
Data Source: Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA)
Independence
95.6% of Aboriginal young people (15-19 years) in SA surveyed in the 2011 Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) survey reported being satisfied with their level of independence (95.1% nationally).
Data Source: Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY)
Average hours of paid employment
The average hours of paid employment for 17-year-old Aboriginal respondents to the survey were 14.7 hours (16.6 nationally) in 2017. Caution is needed in interpreting these data due to the small sample size.
Data Source: Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY)
Not living with parents
The percentage of young Aboriginal people (18 years) not currently living with their parents was 7.0% in 2012 (30.1% in 2009).
Nationally, the percentage was 25.7% in 2012 (30.6% in 2009).
Notes:
– Reporting data for young people not living with their parents is not necessarily an indication of developing skills for an independent life.
– Caution is needed for the interpretation of the SA data due to small sample sizes. In both 2009 and 2012 SA survey less than 20 young Aboriginal people responded to this question.
Data Source: Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY)
Children and young people are engaged in community activities
Volunteering
The percentage of young Aboriginal people (15-19 years) participating in volunteering was 9.0% in 2021 (14.3% in 2016).
Nationally, 9.8% participated in volunteering in 2021 (14.7% in 2016).
Data Source: ABS, Census