Queensland State Schools achieve record results

20 February 2024

• Queensland State School students achieving record results.

• Queensland has seen the highest result for Year 12 State School students achieving their Queensland Certificate of Education at 98.7 per cent or a Queensland Certificate of Individual Achievement since 2008.  

• Improvements in A-E outcomes for students in all year levels, reflecting the commitment of Queensland’s remarkable teachers.

Queensland State Schools’ 2023 report card has identified real improvements across a range of key measures.

For 2023 98.7% of Year 12 students in a Queensland State High School achieved a Queensland Certificate of Education or a Queensland Certificate of Individual Achievement (up 1.3% since 2021).   This is the best result since 2008.

First Nations State School students showed even more improvement up 3.5% since 2021 with 96.2% achieving certification at the end of their studies

Attendance rates are also on the increase, after the last few years disruptions due to COVID, influenza and extreme weather events. Semester 1, 2023 attendance rates in State Schools rose to 87.1%, a notable increase from 85.6% in 2022.

The results are further proof the Queensland Government education strategy Equity and Excellence, realising the potential of every student, is making a difference.

This is the Queensland State School report card:

• English
  • 85.9% of students achieved C or above - up 2.3% since 2021,
  • 49.7% achieving an A or B  - up 4.9% since 2021.
• Mathematics
  • 87.1% of students achieved C or above - up 2.5% since 2021,
  • 57% achieving A or B - up 5.1% since 2021.
• First Nations students
  • English up 3.3% and Mathematics up 4.1% (A or B).
  • English up 3.2% and Mathematics up 3.9% (C or above). 

Our plan has a strong focus on lifting achievement in English and mathematics, improving engagement in learning, and building on our upward trend in Year 12 attainment and positive post-school transitions.

Quotes to be attributed to Education Minister Di Farmer:

"We know how important our schools are in making a difference to the lives of Queensland children and young people.

“We said that we would emerge from a number of years of disruption with a new agenda for Queensland State Schools. We are delivering that and it’s working.

“Every day our dedicated educators work hard to realise the potential of every student. I applaud their efforts and I thank them for what they have achieved for young Queenslanders. This is reflected in our fantastic results that shows Queensland kids are doing well out of the state school system.”

Further in formation:

The Queensland Education Department has implemented sophisticated monitoring and tracking of students against key outcomes to provide the supports each student needs to succeed.

Its data and information systems have become very sophisticated in how they can support teachers and principals to improve student learning.

The last three years have seen significant disruption – extreme weather, the pandemic and influenza – impacting on school attendance. 

It is particularly rewarding to observe a positive uptick in state school student attendance rates in 2023. The overall attendance rate for Semester 1 rose to 87.1%, a notable increase from the 85.6% recorded in 2022.

Attendance rates increased across all year levels and all regions across the state.

Dropping attendance rates in schools has been a national problem and we are very pleased to see this trend reversing here in Queensland.”

Media contact: Gary Shipway 0458 090 906