MOE & DES Release 2023-24 Data Report

The Ministry of Education (MoE) and the Department of Education Services (DES) today released the 2023-24 Education Data Report, revealing trends in student enrolment, attendance and academic performance across government schools.

This year, the report introduced an important change to its method of presenting Key Stage 4 attainment data. While previous reports focused on whole-cohort outcomes, this report and future reports will analyse results by sitting, i.e. the number of students who sat a particular examination-a method that aligns with regional and international reporting standards.  This year’s report provides both analyses as a transition step to the focus on reporting by sitting.

"The examination of data across cohorts has long supported our system-wide educational planning efforts. Moving forward, the analysis of student participation data will contribute to our broader understanding of education outcomes and help inform our ongoing efforts to align with regional and international standards," said Premier and Minister for Education, the Honourable Juliana O'Connor-Connolly.

Key report highlights:

• Enrolment in government Early Childhood Care & Education (ECCE) settings increased by 10.1% since 2022.
• Enrolment across government primary and secondary schools increased, with the number of registered students in these institutions rising by 4.7% since 2022.
• Overall public-school attendance reached 90.8%, representing a 2.4 percentage point improvement from the 2022/2023 academic year.
• Key stage 2 results showed significant progress in all areas, with reading proficiency increasing by 11.9 percentage points over the previous academic year.
• Strong Key Stage 4 (Year 11) performance in English Language (73.8%) and Science (78.5%), while Mathematics (47.2%) remains an area for further improvement.

Director of Education Services, Mr. Mark Ray, acknowledged achievements and challenges. "Our Year 11 students' results show encouraging progress in some areas, especially when we consider those with additional learning needs. For instance, 74% of our Year 11 students who required interventions due to Special Education Needs & Disabilities (SEND) attained acceptable grades in English, demonstrating our commitment to fostering inclusivity in our schools. On the other hand, students’ overall performance in mathematics signals a need for continued and focused interventions across all student groups."

Ongoing intervention strategies include revisiting curriculum resources and delivery, providing professional development for teachers and fostering a positive attitude toward mathematics through innovative teaching practices. 

Notably, public school students exceeded regional and international averages in English Language and Integrated Science, achieving 78% in the latter subject compared to the regional average of 58.1% and British average of 57.1%.

Acting Chief Officer, Ms. Lyneth Monteith provided additional context for the results: "The growth in early childhood education enrollment suggests growing public trust in our early years' provisions. Similarly, our Key Stage 2 improvements, particularly in reading, strongly indicate that we are now seeing the results of our 2019 curriculum reform. While celebrating these successes, we also recognise the importance of implementing targeted strategies to strengthen mathematics achievement across all levels, ensuring our students are fully prepared for their academic journey."