In 2022, the national Post-School Destination (GENERATION) survey asked Year 10 students about their educational plans immediately after leaving school and longer term into the future. Although a majority of students were planning to go to university or other higher education provider, their thoughts about what their parents wanted them to do, and what their friends were planning to do post-school, differed by student gender. Gender differences were most prominent among students who aspired to vocational pathways. The results attest to the high degree of gender segregation in the Australian education sector.
In 2022, 72% of the Year 10 respondents were planning to eventually go to university after school.
Compared to males and non-binary students, a higher proportion of females (79%) were planning to pursue higher education.
Among those who wanted to pursue a vocational pathway, more males than females thought their parents agreed (65% agreement for males compared to 47% agreement for females).
Among those who wanted to pursue a vocational pathway more males than females thought their peers wanted to do the same (42% agreement for males compared to 23% agreement for females).
GENERATION asked Year 10 students about their post-school education plans. The responses were grouped into three broad categories. Those who reported a plan to ‘Go to Uni or other higher education provider’ were categorised into the higher education sector. Vocational training comprised going to TAFE or a private training provider, doing an apprenticeship, or a traineeship, doing some other course or training elsewhere, joining the Australian Defence Force, or joining the police. Those who planned to work at a job or take a gap year/travel immediately after school, and planned not to study any further in the future, were categorised as having no study plans after school.
Although university, as an immediate post-school destination, was the most popular option for Year 10 students, it was more popular among females than among males and non-binary students. Vocational pathways were more popular among males and non-binary students than among females. Compared to males and females, there was a higher proportion of non-binary students who reported no plans to study after school.
GENERATION also asked students: ‘What do you think your parents or caregivers want you to do after you leave school?’
Among those who wanted to pursue higher education after school, across all gender categories, there was a high proportion of agreement than disagreement between what students wanted to do and what they thought their parents wanted them to do.
Gender differences were most prominent among students who aspired to vocational pathways. Compared to males and non-binary students, a higher proportion of female students thought that their parents wanted them to go to university instead.
Among students who planned to do no further study in the future, most students thought their parents wanted them to go to university instead. The proportion of students who thought their parents wanted them to go to university (instead of no further study) was higher among female students. Whereas, a higher proportion of male students thought their parents wanted them to pursue a vocational pathway instead.
GENERATION also asked students ‘What do you think most of your friends plan to do after they leave school?’
Across all gender categories, a majority of students who wanted pursue higher education also thought that their friends were planning to do the same. This perceived consistency with peer plans was more prominent for females than for males and non-binary students. A greater proportion of males and non-binary students thought that their friends were planning to undertake some vocational training than females.
Again, gender differences were quite prominent for those who wanted to do some vocational training after school. Among females there was a higher proportion who thought that their friends were going to university than males or non-binary students.
There were no gender differences in agreement between students and their friends who both had no plans to study further after school. However, among those who thought their friends planned to pursue post-school education, a large proportion comprised female students. For male students who wanted to stop studying, a higher proportion thought their friends would take a vocational pathway.