Private, public, independent: Full breakdown of Aus education costs

How do Victoria’s government, Catholic and independent schools compare with each other, and other states? SEE THE BREAKDOWN

The true cost of sending our kids to school has been revealed.

Melburnians packing their kids off to schools this week will shell out up to $400,000 over the next 13 years.

If they opt for a government school they will pay roughly $86,737, according to the Futurity Investment Group Planning for Education Index.

It estimates it will cost $393,534 for an independent school with Catholic schools around $142,923.

While Sydney is the most expensive capital city, Melbourne costs are well above the national average.

Parents can pay up to $400,000 in education costs over their child’s school journey.

The cost for Victorian regional and country areas was forecast to be $57,719 for government, $105,544 for Catholic and $208,031 for independent for the 13 years. Futurity said government education in Victorian regional areas was 13 per cent below the national average while regional independent was 48 per cent above the national average at nearly $210,000.

Families who have done a sea or tree change could pocket savings with government education out of Melbourne $29,018 cheaper over a 13-year period than the capital.

In Melbourne, Victorian school contribution levies of $434 for government schools are only part of the cost with Futurity estimating parents will pay outside tuition fees of $2,050, $625 for school camps and sports equipment, $514 on electronic devices $461 on uniforms and textbooks.

Total estimated cost of education for a child starting school in 2021

Location	Government	Catholic	Independent
National Average (metro)	$81,823	$140,433	$340,882
National Average (regional & remote)	$66,603	$107,678	$140,197
Sydney	$90,122	$128,828	$448,035
NSW (regional & remote)	$58,227	$114,611	$133,920
Brisbane	$73,159	$154,341	$266,614
QLD (regional & remote)	$76,588	$118,681	$160,139
Adelaide	$83,681	$137,828	$277,746
SA (regional & remote)	$69,735	$104,215	$138,885
Melbourne	$86,737	$142,923	$393,534
VIC (regional & remote)	$57,719	$105,544	$208,031
Perth	$74,369	$136,963	$210,296
WA (regional & remote)	$72,825	$107,370	$150,452

In the Catholic sector outside tuition of $1,640 was forecast followed by school fees of $1,375, school camps and sports equipment $1,281 and electronic devices $513.

For the independent sector fees were put at $16,219 plus outside tuition $1,538, school camps

and sports equipment $1,333, transport $1,025 and uniforms and textbooks $820.

Futurity group executive Kate Hill said some parents decided to go for a government school and supplement it with extra out of school tuition hence to the cost of $2050.

“They will set aside that money for additional tutoring around maths and English,” she said.

She said the increased use of devices was a rising cost faced by parents, highlighted during remote learning.

Sydney is the most expensive education capital, but Melbourne is well above the national average.

Ms Hill said a survey of 1600 people undertaken at the same time as the index showed that during the pandemic people sending their kids to government schools faced ancillary costs of $826 per child.

“This makes sense because some primary school children would not have had their own devices but when we switched to remote learning they would have needed them.” she said.

The survey found around one in five schools were able to lend equipment to children.

Home schooling may have delivered some other savings such transport many schools reduced fees and rebated levies.

Ms Hill said there were looming concerns as JobKeeper stopped in coming months and what impact that might have families ability to pay fees.

She said while some Futurity clients, who enter into an arrangement where they do regular long term contributions to fund education, needed to call on support many of them had bounced back, resuming employment.

The survey also found that around 60 per cent of independent and Catholic schools offered fee assistance last year.

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Originally published as Private, public, independent: Full breakdown of Aus education costs