Cost of schooling rises in every sector

The cost of an education is going up across the board and a government education is no exception as parents are increasingly being asked to reach into their pockets to contribute to a school’s expenses.

Of fee-paying schools, 39% indicated that they are likely to increase school fees this year and the price of educating children at home during the pandemic was no help given the costs attached to home schooling.

Sydney remains the most expensive city to access an education, the total cost of a Government education in the Harbour City will  be $92,375 over 13-years for a child starting school in 2022.

The total cost of a Government education in Sydney is 10% above the national average ($83,869), and considerably more expensive than Brisbane ($74,988) and Perth ($76,229), Australia’s most affordable capital cities for a Government education.

Jacinta Therese’s son is about to start Year 10 at a Government school at Thornbury in Melbourne’s inner north.

“I’m not surprised a Government education costs so much,” Ms Therese said.

“I work at a school and understand how stretched the sector is and how much schools have to beg and borrow to survive, and that was before COVID-19.

“At my son’s school, I contribute to the Library Fund and the School Building Fund. There are also expenses for uniforms, tech, a maths tutor, a music tutor, plus sport including hockey, Aussie rules and swimming.

“My husband and I are paying more than the Melbourne average for a Government education for our child, and that’s before you factor in how much we have spent on his mental health in the past year.”

School fees ($443) are forecast to make up a fraction of the total cost of a Government education in Sydney, with outside tuition ($1,891), school camps and sports equipment ($735), electronic devices ($525) and uniforms and textbooks ($473) all costing more this year.

Brisbane is Australia’s most expensive city for a Catholic education, with parents in the Queensland capital forecast to spend $158,199 over 13-years of schooling, 10% above the national average ($143,944).

It’s estimated school fees ($2,471) will be to be the most expensive component of a Catholic education for a child starting school in Brisbane this year, well ahead of outside tuition ($1,051), uniforms and textbooks ($919), school camps and sports equipment ($841) and electronic devices ($788).

Again, Sydney will be the most  expensive city in Australia for an Independent education for a child starting school this year.

Sydney parents who send a child to an Independent school will spend $459,236 over 13 years, 31% or $109,832 more than the national average ($349,404), and considerably more than parents in Perth ($215,554), Australia’s most affordable city for an Independent education.

School fees ($23,936) are forecast to be the most expensive component of an Independent education for a child starting school this year in Sydney, well ahead of outside tuition ($1,523), school camps and sports equipment ($1,156) and uniforms and textbooks ($683).

The research also calculated the total cost of education in regional and remote areas for a child starting school this year.

Queensland boasts Australia’s most expensive Government and Catholic education in rural and remote areas, while Victoria is home to Australia’s most expensive Independent education in regional and remote areas.

Government education in regional and remote Queensland will be $78,503 over 13 years for a child starting school in 2022.

The total cost of a Government education in regional and remote Queensland is 15% above the national average ($68,268) and $3,515 more expensive over 13-years than a Government education in Brisbane ($74,988).

Regional and remote Queensland parents who send a child to a Catholic school will spend $121,648 over 13 years for a child starting school in 2022, while regional and remote Victorian parents will spend $213,232 per child for an Independent education, 48% or $69,531 above the national average ($143,701).

The research from Futurity Group paints a picture of education being increasingly under cost pressure and Group Executive, Kate Hill said the price of education has risen at more than double the rate of inflation over the past decade.

“Education costs, including school fees, outside tuition, software and electronic devices are demanding a far greater share of the family budget than in the past,” Ms Hill said.

“We know many Australians are struggling with the cost of living. With less discretionary money to spend, it’s going to be very hard to pay for education, which means parents who have planned and saved will be in a better position in the long run."

The research found 33% of parents experienced either ‘a lot’ or ‘some’ financial pressure as a result of the pandemic, with 36% taking annual leave or unpaid leave to help home school a child.

One in three (31%) parents who took annual leave or unpaid leave to help home school a child during the COVID-19 pandemic earned substantially less than the previous year, with 51% of those reporting their earnings fell by more than $10,000.

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