During the period 1994-98, fewer than one in three Indigenous students in Australia progressed to Year 12. Such low retention rates have long been recognised in Australia as a significant problem, with profound implications in a range of social arenas.

This Monograph provides a review and analysis of Indigenous retention rates, drawing on the outputs of rigorous empirical research, national data and State-level case studies tracing some of the possible factors - including literacy, numeracy and attendance - that influence the rates at which Indigenous young people leave school before reaching Year 12. The Monograph includes a series of recommendations for policy interventions to directly address the unacceptably low Indigenous retention rates in Australia today.