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.
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.
Racism & Cultural Exclusion
Documented & systemicDiscrimination is a documented barrier to school engagement for Aboriginal and culturally diverse students in WA, per Mission Australia 2024.
Motivation & Disengagement
Structural barrierLow motivation is structurally linked to geographic isolation, limited extracurriculars, and teacher shortages in regional and remote WA.
Who attends school in Western Australia?
1,000 schools · 406,185 students — ACARA National School Profile 2025
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 2025. ICSEA (Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage) 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.