Private school enrolments surge in Victoria after lockdown

Thousands of Victorian families have switched to private schools following an academic year riddled with lockdowns and remote learning.

More Victorian kids are now enrolled in private schools after last year’s lockdowns

The COVID-19 pandemic and homeschooling has seen scores of Victorian families enrol their children in independent schools.

And some moving to the private system are middle or low income earners.

Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) figures released on Friday show enrolments in Victorian independent schools surged in 2020, growing by 3,924, or 2.7 per cent.

Nearly 151,000 children – 15 per cent of all Victorian students – now attend a private school, with the latest rate of increase bigger than that of public and Catholic schools.

Independent Schools Victoria (ISV) chief executive Michelle Green said the figures – compiled when all schools were facing extraordinary disruption due to COVID-19 – continued a steady trend in enrolment growth.

“It’s particularly heartening to see the growth in the number of students enrolled in schools favoured by parents on low and middle incomes,” she said.

Nationally, private schools last year recorded their strongest growth in more than 10 years, with enrolments growing by close to 15,000, Ms Green said.