Australia Yearbook - 2001

428 Year Book Australia 2001
2001 Census of Population and
Housing
The 2001 Census will see the introduction of
the Australian Standard Classification of
Education (ASCED). This classification will also
be implemented nationally in education
research and collections so that data on
qualifications from various sources will be
comparable.
Other changes to the education section of the
2001 Census include changing the question
regarding ‘age left school’ back to a question
similar to the 1966 query of ‘highest year of
schooling’. However, respondents will not be
required to enter a code based on the level of
school attained, but will instead be provided
with options, including ‘Still at school’, ‘Did not
go to school’, ‘Year 8 or below’, ‘Year 9 or
equivalent’ and so on until Year 12. Examples of
highest qualification will also be changed, with
doctorate being removed, and certificate and
advanced diploma included.
References
1 Gale, Walter A. 1892, Census Western
Australia, April, 1891: General Report with
Appendices, R. Pether Government Printer,
Perth, p. 10.
2 Commonwealth Bureau of Census and
Statistics 1908, Official Year Book of the
Commonwealth of Australia No.1, McCarron,
Bird & Co. Printers, Melbourne.
3 Commonwealth Statistician 1917, Census of
the Commonwealth of Australia 3rd April,
1911, Vol 1: Statistician’s Report Including
Appendices, McCarron, Bird & Co. Printers,
Melbourne, p. 166.
Expenditure on education
This section provides estimates of government
expenditure on education, which have been
compiled in accordance with national accounting
concepts. An explanation of these concepts is
contained in Australian National Accounts:
Concepts, Sources and Methods (5216.0);
Government Finance Statistics: Concepts,
Sources and Methods (5514.0); Information
Paper: Developments in Government Finance
Statistics (5516.0); Information Paper:
Accruals-based Government Finance Statistics
(5517.0); and Expenditure on Education,
Australia (5510.0).
The accrual-based estimates in tables 10.29, 10.30,
and 10.31 are not comparable with the
cash-based estimates published in past editions of
Year Book Australia. Under accrual recording,
revenues, expenses, lending, and borrowing are
recorded as they are earned, accrued, or
incurred. A new conceptual framework, derived
from the international standard System of
National Accounts 1993, is used for these
accrual-based estimates.
The emphasis given to the outlays of the public
sector reflects not only the relative importance of
that sector in the provision of educational
services, but also the lack of detailed accrual
information relating to expenditure on
educational activities in the private sector.
Table 10.29 presents the total education expenses
of governments in 1998–99, by purpose.
Operating expenses for university education
comprised 28%, followed by primary and
secondary education (each 23% of total operating
expenses). Technical and further education
accounted for 11% of the total operating
expenses for government education. Total
operating expenses do not include expenditure
on non-financial assets, a component of the
consolidated financial statements.
Table 10.30 shows the components of operating
expenses on education by economic transaction
in 1998–99. Wage and salary expenses accounted
for 49%, with the balance largely in non-employee
expenses (22%), and grants plus personal benefit
payments (19%).
Table 10.31 summarises the importance of
Commonwealth grants for education to the States
and Territories, and to universities. Two-fifths
(42%) of Commonwealth grants for education are
directed to universities. From tables 10.29 and
10.31, 43% of university funding is from
Commonwealth grants, as is a quarter of funding
both for primary and secondary schooling (25%),
and technical and further education (26%).