Australia has witnessed a decline in the school retention rate, with almost 20% of teenagers failing to complete high school in 2022, the lowest rate in 10 years, according to a government services report by the Productivity Commission. Non-government schools have a higher rate of completion at 87.2% compared to government schools at 73.5%. Additionally, the education gap between children from wealthy and less fortunate families is widening, with only 74% of students from poorer families completing high school. The disciplinary climate in Australian schools is also worsening and is among the least favorable in the OECD, despite increasing government funding to the education sector. Colin Axup, President of the Victorian Association of State Secondary Principals reasons that the “post-Covid hangover” may be one of the potential factors behind the high dropout rates.