NSW schools: How much private, public and Catholic parents spend on education extras

Parents are now splashing thousands on education extras to give their kid a leg up in the world. Find out how the costs compare at private, public and Catholic schools.

Children spent less time at school last year but the cost of an education actually went up, according to a survey of more than a thousand parents.

Parents splashed out an extra $1926 last year because they had to pay for extra laptops, tutoring and more food and groceries because of months of homeschooling, according to the survey by Futurity Group — a company that provides specialist investment funds designed to eventually pay school fees.

Sydney is unsurprisingly the most expensive place in the nation to attend private school with the cost of sending a kid to private school now projected to be $459,236 for 13 years of schooling.

NSW parents spend more than $92,000 over 13 years for their child to attend public school. Picture / Monique Harmer

That estimate calculates $23,000 a year on fees while also accounting for extras such as paying for the uniform, school camps and other costs.

And while public school is meant to be free, in NSW parents splash out 10 per cent more per year than the national average, with mums and dads expected to pay $92,375 over 13 years of schooling.

That estimate includes a parental contribution of $443 per year to the school while $1,891 per year is expected to be spent on external tuition, $735 on school camps and sports equipment, $525 a year on electronic devices and $473 on uniforms and textbooks every year.

Data is based on data sourced from a survey of 1,800 Futurity members on ancillary costs and publicly available information on school fees and contributions, including the My School website.

University of Wollongong Professor of Management Paul Gollan said fierce competition in the jobs market meant parents were now more likely to want to spend up on tutoring.

“One thing we’re finding through universities is that the competition out there is pretty fierce, particularly in certain degree programs,” he said.

“There has always been this emphasis on private schools but there is almost a hidden form of private education in the government sector in terms of (tutoring).”

He said it was not uncommon for families in the UK to move house to be close to a good public school and that tactic was catching on in Australia.

“I suspect we’re following the same trend if there are not a lot of school options where you currently live,” he said.

Futurity Group Executive Kate Hill said she was aware of members selling houses to pay for the final years of their child’s private school because parents believed education could change their child’s life.

“People are really passionate about education choices they make for their kids,” she said.

“We have heard stories of people selling up the family home to fund education and get their kids through the last years of school.

“There are a lot of parents out there who just want to make a choice around education which sees them going into Catholic and Independent schools.”

Twins Harriet and Sam Matterson, 5, are excited to start kindergarten at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School. Picture: Justin Lloyd

Sydney’s Catholic schools were deemed the most affordable by the research with parents expected to spend eight per cent less, or $132,048 over 13 years of schooling.

Mum Caroline Price said she could have sent her twins Harriet and Sam Matterson, 5, to the local public school but chose Our Lady of Lourdes in Baulkham Hills because it was smaller.

“I just really like the values the Catholic school system teach, and it is a smaller school of 400 whereas the local public schools has well over one thousand,” she said.

“I think all of my dealings with the school so far have been really positive…it has a nice, close-knit feel.”

Harriet and Sam were both excited for school. “I want to learn how to read and make new friends,” Harriet said.

“I want to do maths and learn my letters,” Sam said.