Coronavirus school closures hit parents’ hip pockets

Families have shelled out hundreds of dollars in unplanned education costs as schools shut during the pandemic.

School closures sparked by the pandemic have taken a financial toll on many families as they have shelled out hundreds of dollars in unplanned education costs and skipped work to help children learn from home.

A nationwide survey revealed parents spent an average $800 per child on education-related items in the wake of schools closing, with electronic devices and private tutors among the biggest expenses.

More than a quarter of parents took time off work, with 27 per cent of those with children at government and Catholic schools ­reporting booking annual or unpaid leave to help with remote learning. The figure was 22 per cent among parents with children at independent schools.

The impact of school closures last year, which spanned most of term two and all of term three in the case of Victoria, has emerged alongside a warning that education costs are set to rise over the coming decade.

According to data published by Futurity Investment Group and verified by Monash University, the estimated cost of an independent school education for a child starting in 2021 is more than $260,000 over 13 years in most capital cities.

For Catholic schools in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth, the average cost of education is tipped to climb to $140,000, and to $82,000 for government schools. Sydney remains the most ­expensive market, with independent schooling estimated to cost $448,000 over the course of a child’s education, compared with $394,000 in Melbourne and $278,000 in Adelaide.

Brisbane is expected to be the most expensive city for Catholic education ($154,000).

Futurity group executive Kate Hill said fees typically comprised a portion of the overall costs of education to families, with levies, uniforms, technology, text books, excursions and camps, and transport adding up significantly.

Despite many non-government schools opting against ­increasing fees this year, there was no reason to believe they wouldn’t continue to rise over the longer term, she said.

“The costs associated with education have increased at double the rate of inflation over the past decade,” Ms Hill said. “And certainly the costs associated with getting an education don’t seem to be slowing.

 

“Many families have been struggling coming out of COVID, particularly in Victoria, so there’s a balancing act for independent schools to ensure they can keep students enrolled … while taking care of their own costs.”

In a survey of 1600 parents, the organisation also found that families with students attending Catholic and government schools last year faced the biggest unplanned education-related expenses, spending on average $867 and $826 respectively per student, which was significantly higher than the $597 per child ­expensed by those across the independent sector.

The biggest expense was $336 on electronic devices, followed by $202 on outside tuition or coaching, $111 on stationary and $99 on textbooks.

About two-thirds of independent school respondents claimed that their child’s school offered ­financial assistance or payment plans for fees during the pandemic, compared to 59 per cent of Catholic schools and 16 per cent of government schools.

The survey also revealed many parents took a hands-on approach to remote learning, with 46 per cent of government-school parents spending more than two hours a day helping with schooling, compared to 36 per cent of Catholic-school parents and 33 per cent of independent-school parents.