The gendered nature of Indigenous education participation and attainment

Abstract

This paper reviews literature related to the intersectionality of gender and educational attainment, with a special focus on the circumstances surrounding the Australian Indigenous population. Using two sources of data, the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) and the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), we conducted difference-in-difference analyses to better understand differences by gender between the non-Indigenous and the Indigenous in school attendance, school persistence and test scores. Gender differences across the outcomes analysed were generally larger for the Indigenous than for the non-Indigenous. Specifically, relative to Indigenous males, Indigenous females were more likely to achieve higher test scores, to complete Year 12 and to attend school. Our results highlight how implementing policies that recognise that Indigenous males and females often require support in different areas and through different means will be better suited to improve educational outcomes.