Priority Wellbeing Issues
The following issues are documented as the most significant wellbeing challenges for students in Western Australia, based on national and state-level Australian data.
Remote Attendance Crisis
~57% remote attendanceRoGS 2026 data shows attendance in very remote WA schools can fall below 60%, compared to 93% in major cities — the steepest gradient nationally.
Read deep dive →Indigenous Self-Harm & Suicidality
AIHW: highest percentile bandAIHW Youth Self-Harm Atlas shows WA regional areas consistently in the highest national percentile bands for youth self-harm, with Aboriginal communities most affected.
Read deep dive →Racism & Cultural Exclusion
Documented & systemicDiscrimination is a documented barrier to school engagement for Aboriginal and culturally diverse students in WA, per Mission Australia 2024.
Read deep dive →Motivation & Disengagement
Structural barrierLow motivation is structurally linked to geographic isolation, limited extracurriculars, and teacher shortages in regional and remote WA.
Read deep dive →Who attends school in Western Australia?
1,132 schools · 489,697 students
These indicators highlight student groups that research shows are at higher risk of wellbeing challenges and may require additional support. Averages are across all schools in Western Australia.
of students in schools fall in the lowest quarter of socio-educational advantage nationally
average proportion of Indigenous students across schools — a group with documented higher wellbeing needs
of students have a language background other than English (LBOTE) — requiring culturally aware wellbeing approaches
Source: ACARA National School Profile, data as at March 2025. ICSEA ranges from ~500 to ~1300; national average is 1000. Equity figures are school-level averages, not student-weighted.
Cities & Regions in Western Australia
Select a city or region to explore a detailed wellbeing report for that specific area, including local data, priority issues, and prevention insights.
The challenge schools in Western Australia face
Schools across Western Australia are doing their best with the resources and information they have. But wellbeing challenges like anxiety, disengagement, and self-harm are often invisible until they become urgent. Teachers and principals are not mental health specialists — and without systematic data, they are working without a map.
When schools measure student emotional readiness to learn regularly and systematically, the warning signs become visible weeks before a crisis. That window is where prevention lives.
Sources & References
The data presented on this page is sourced from reputable Australian government and research organisations.
- 📊Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)
www.abs.gov.au ↗ - 🏥Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW)
www.aihw.gov.au ↗ - 🎓Department of Education
www.education.gov.au ↗ - 📚State and Territory Education Departments
Regional data from state-specific education authorities