Why private school retention rates for Indigenous students are misleading
A Coalition spokesperson cited 91.4% retention in private schools versus 59% in government schools. But retention rates only show who stays enrolled, not who finishes school or how well they do.
Julian Leeser is the Coalition's spokesperson for Indigenous affairs. He said private schools work better for Indigenous students based on retention rates.
But retention rates only track enrollment, not completion. Private schools take carefully chosen students.
They pick students who are already doing well and are stable at home. This is not a fair comparison.
The real measure is completion rates. Indigenous students still finish school at much lower rates than non-Indigenous students, about 20 percentage points lower.
Why it mattersIf leaders rely on these numbers, money spent on private schools might not fix the real problems that hold Indigenous students back.
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