UP to 20 per cent of young Australians have failed to find full-time work or full-time education, raising fears of a 'lost' generation.

According to new statistics, up to 20 per cent of Australians aged between 15 and 24 are not in full time work or education, a figure described by Acting Prime Minister Julia Gillard as startling and worrying.
Australia ranks 23 in a list of 35 OECD countries for the number of students who finish year 12 or equivalent.

These are pretty startling and worrying statistics," Ms Gillard told ABC Radio today.

"We need to be lifting retention to year twelve or equivalent.

"None of this is going to be easy...(but) we need to make sure that young people are staying in education and coming out with skills.

Australia could not afford to have young people lose their way into "some twilight world" between school and work."

Ms Gillard will use a speech to the Australian Council of Educational Research today to outline a plan to provide comprehensive statistical information about the performance of schools.

It would be more than simply drawing up league tables, she said.

"The essence of league tables is you take one little thing and whack it in a list and say that's all you need to know about your local school.

"We are certainly not in (to) that."

"What we want to know is very comprehensive information about who is in each school because that would tell you something about educational need.

"We need to know where that disadvantage lies and we need to know the best methods of addressing it."

Source: news.com.au