Catholic school fees tipped to skyrocket amid education funding changes

EXCLUSIVE: Catholic school fees at some Sydney primary schools could jump by up to $5000 a year by 2023, new modelling has revealed.

A reconciliation action event at St Brendan’s in Annandale, tipped to be hit hard by funding cuts. Picture: Craig Wilson

CATHOLIC school fees at some Sydney primary schools could jump by up to $5000 a year by 2023, new modelling has revealed.

An analysis of school fees by Catholic education authorities shows parents with children at 78 NSW Catholic primary schools would be hit with fee increases of more than $1000 per child per year.

But Education Minister Simon Birmingham said the sector’s modelling was “misleading and fundamentally flawed”.

St Brendan's School tuition fees would rise by almost $5000, a forecast predicts. Picture: Craig Wilson

The sector is now at war with the Turnbull government over its proposed shake-up of school funding.

Dissent is also spreading in the Coalition over the government’s plan to move from a fixed to flexible funding model, which is linked to economic growth. Catholic school bosses believe the new model could lead to a $250 million shortfall forcing them to hike up fees to cover the bills.

The latest analysis by the Catholic sector is based on school financial details on the My School website.

The group claims St Brendan’s Catholic Primary School in Annandale would be hardest hit with the cost of tuition forecast to jump by almost $5000 a year within the next five to seven years. Catholic primary schools in Oatley, Clovelly and Coogee could also face hikes of $3000 a year.

Last night Senator Birmingham said funding for Catholic schools would increase by $1.2 billion over the next four years.

“I am committed to stopping the school funding wars and I urge all parties to end their scare tactics and stop campaigns for special treatment,” he said.

But Sydney Catholic Schools boss Dan White said the policy would bite after the first three years and could force low income families to leave the Catholic system.

“It would push a greater number of children in to state schools and they are struggling to accommodate them as it is,” Mr White told The Sunday Telegraph.

“It will push more marginalised family with greater learning needs into state education”

Mr White said the sector was willing to engage in “sensible negotiations” with the government. “If not, we will plan a strategy that will activate our parents.”

Privately government MPs are concerned about the announcement with one frontbencher saying the deal “wasn’t good enough”.

“We have three years to fix it before it bites,” he said.

The fallout is threatening to dominate the first post-election budget with the Catholic group inviting the Prime Minister and Senator Birmingham to address angry parents at a rally in Canberra on Monday night.