It was once the place of stained glass windows to educate the faithful in stories they couldn't read themselves. I looked that up on Google.
The people in a church congregation today have a mix of education levels. While 37% of Australian church attenders have a university degree, 25% have a trade certificate or diploma, and another 38% have a school education.
Meaning there is a real educational spectrum at church on any given Sunday. From literacy to technology, church leaders are wise to consider the education levels of their attenders, in order to communicate effectively with them.
The results from the 2016 National Church Life Survey reveal that 37% of all attenders in 2016 were university qualified, while 25% had attained a trade certificate, diploma or associate diploma. The remaining 38% had completed primary or secondary school.
The percentage of Australian church attenders with a tertiary qualification rose from 27% in 2006 to 37% in 2016, a 10 percentage point increase in 10 years.
A decline is seen in the percentage of Australian church attenders with a school level qualification. This figure dropped from 50% in 2006, to 38% in 2016, a 12 percentage point decrease in 10 years.
The proportion of those with a trade certificate, diploma or associate diploma, has remained fairly stable at around 25% over the same 10 year period.
See education by denomination comparisons, in the article Highly educated churchgoers on the rise.
Education fast facts:
- 37% of all attenders in 2016 have a university degree, up from 33% in 2011 and 27% in 2006: an increase of 10 percentage points in ten years.
- 25% have a trade certificate, diploma or associate diploma: fairly constant since 2006.
- 38% have primary or secondary school education, down from 42% in 2011 and 50% in 2006: a drop of 12 percentage points in ten years.
