Why parents are sending kids to public over private school

Parents are opting to send their children to public rather than private school, as families continue to struggle with the financial burden of COVID-19.

Parents are opting to send their children to public rather than private school, as families continue to struggle with the financial burden of COVID-19.

Experts say there will be an acceleration of families choosing to enrol their children in state schools this year, as private school fees remain one of the stressful expenses for Queensland parents.

Finder money and insurance expert Taylor Blackburn said while parents are concerned about mortgage, rent, groceries and energy bills, private school fees jump to 12 per cent on the list for most stressful expenses.

He said private school fees in Queensland metro areas could cost up to $30,000 a year, while public costs are around $4800.

In regional areas, private school parents fork out around $25,000, while about $4000 is needed for state schools.

“There will be many parents who will go into a bit of debt to make sure they are getting what they perceive to be the best education possible and there will be others despite their best efforts or best wishes will opt to go the public school route,” Mr Blackburn said.

The trend has been gradually growing for the past few years, but it is expected a large shift this year following the pandemic, similar to the GFC when the economic downturn saw a large spike in public school enrolments.

“Over the last few years there’s been an increase flowing into the state sector – I don’t think it’s just a COVID thing,” Queensland Teachers Union president Cresta Richardson said.

“That may have accelerated people and families’ decisions and choices but I think it’s actually been over the last little while.

“State schools provide an education for all students who turn up, state schools take everybody and it’s a quality education.”

University of Queensland education associate professor Rhonda Faragher said while great education can be received in both sectors, it was important to consider all factors when enrolling a child.

“We need to help families realise they can get an outstanding education for their child in both sectors and it just shouldn’t be an automatic assumption that unless you can afford pay expensive school fees your child won’t get a good education because that’s not true,” she said.

“Parents will find great teachers in both sectors and it depends on their own particular needs at the time and I think for families not naturally assume paying big fees is not necessarily going to be getting a better education.”

Cassh Williams with his mum Seminah Williams at Bremner State High School. Picture: Richard Walker

Ipswich parent Seminah Williams said she sent her son Cassh, Year 7, to Bremer State High School because the cost of private school would have been an issue having four children.

“We can’t afford to send all of them to private schools,” she said.

Brisbane parent Scott Doran said he sent his son Kaiden, Year 7, to Brisbane State High, although he was outside the catchment area, saying there is more success from university students that attended public schools.

“I think this is because of the resources that private schools have – the smaller the class sizes, they don’t really set students up for great university results,” he said

“I’ve had this line of thinking since my final year of private school … it was my teachers who warned against getting too comfortable with private school life, because university is much more akin to state school.”