Australian school attendance and retention rates in long-term decline, report shows

Education minister Jason Clare set a target for 55% of young people to have a university degree in the next decade. Photograph: Alamy

Engagement in education and training is going backwards, new data reveals, as governments grapple to reverse poor school attendance rates in an effort to reach ambitious tertiary targets.

The Productivity Commission’s report on government services, released on Monday night, showed school attendance and retention rates were continuing to decline, alongside a drop-off in further studies.