Fees/charges: How much parents are forking out for Queensland schools

The most expensive and cheapest schools in Queensland have been revealed with some schools raking in up to $41 million a year in fees, charges and parent contributions. SEE HOW YOUR SCHOOL COMPARES

PARENTS have shelled out a staggering $1 billion to send their kids to private schools across Queensland in just one year, exclusive analysis reveals.

Some of Brisbane’s most elite private schools finished in the top 10, with people forking out the most, with the inner city a hotspot for spending per student, according to My School data exclusively analysed by The Courier-Mail.

The traditionally high-performing Brisbane Grammar School has come out on top for the state with the most spending per student at $24,215.

Followed closely by sister school Brisbane Girls Grammar at $23,686 and St Margaret’s Anglican College at $20,663 per student for all fees, charges and parental contributions.

SCROLL DOWN TO SEE HOW MUCH YOUR SCHOOL COSTS

Gold Coast based The Southport School ranked 10th on the list and was the only school outside Brisbane to make the top 10, with $17,642 spent per student.

For all Independent, Catholic and State Schools, about 1.8 billion was spent on school fees, charges and contributions across in 2017 alone.

Queensland executive Director David Robertson said Queensland parents “also contributed a further $300 million on school infrastructure”.

“This private investment by parents represents an extraordinary saving to governments and taxpayers.

“School governing bodies are very mindful of the investment parents make from their after-tax incomes in their child’s education.

“They carefully consider their local community context, parental capacity, wage cost increases, public funding and general economic conditions when setting school fees each year.”

The most spent per student for Catholic Schools in 2017 was at Stuartholme School at $16, 424 per student while the lowest amount was $471 at St Paul’s School in Woodridge.

It is understood that no fees are charged for students at St Michael’s Catholic School at Palm Island and at St Teresa’s Abergowrie. Students at those schools are mostly funded through ABStudy but it is recorded on MySchool data as a parental contribution.

QCEC Executive Director Dr Lee-Anne Perry said fees were determined by each Catholic School Authority and determined based on each particular school.

“Providing the option of a Catholic education is equally important in metropolitan, regional and rural communities and irrespective of the socio-economic circumstances of families,” she said.
“Catholic schools also have fee relief policies, scholarships or bursaries for families that might encounter difficulties meeting their fee commitments.”

Osborne State School in North Queensland was the government school with the most contributions per student at $4081 but the Education Department said every school is different and data may capture funding schools generate themselves through parent contributions for certain programs.

“Including through external arrangements such as hire fees for school facilities, P & C funding, fees for excursions and camps, international student fees,” a spokesperson said.