Coronavirus: Schools extend helping hand to families in financial strife

Schools are offering families reduced school fees as COVID-19 continues to wreak havoc on the economy.

Carey Grammar school in Melbourne. Picture: Stuart McEvoy

The high price of schooling is ­placing as many as 70 per cent of families under financial pressure, as the coronavirus forces schools to reduce or suspend tuition costs.

A survey of 1800 families with children attending government and non-government schools has revealed even those with higher incomes are not immune, with more than half those on more than $180,000 a year reporting some degree of financial pressure.

The Futurity Parents Report Card, released on Tuesday, highlights how susceptible schools are to the impact of the pandemic.

It comes as non-government schools across Victoria, including Carey Grammar School, Lauriston Girls School, St Kevin’s College and Melbourne Grammar School, have offered families ­continued fee discounts or rebates on activity payments.

Belgrave Heights Christian School in the Yarra Ranges has ­redeployed money set aside for a new building to a crisis and recovery fund to support families experiencing financial hardship. It has so far been accessed by the parents of 70 students, almost 10 per cent of the school’s enrolment.

Futurity Investment Group executive Kate Hill said the survey of the financial firm’s members, conducted on the eve of the COVID-19 pandemic, found that a majority of families were already feeling the pressure from school fees, with 8 per cent claiming the pressure was negatively influencing their quality of life.

Ms Hill said the pressure was being felt regardless of the school sector, with some metropolitan government secondary schools charging tuition fees of as much as $2000 a year.

“We know that since the survey was conducted, the financial pressure would have only intensified due to the economic impacts of the pandemic,” Ms Hill said.

“And even parents in households where the income is quite high, 56 per cent say they feel pressure as a result of paying fees.”

In the wake of Victoria’s heightened COVID-19 restrictions, which include a return to ­remote education, schools have been offering families additional support and discounts.

Carey Grammar and St Kevin’s College have offered 15 per cent fee discounts for term three, while Melbourne Grammar has cut secondary fees by 15 per cent and primary fees by 25 per cent.

 

Melbourne Grammar headmaster Philip Grutzner said the school would continue to provide extra financial support to families on a case-by-case basis and noted that enrolments had not been ­affected by the pandemic.

“Our admissions data indicates there will be no downturn in new enrolments in 2020 or 2021,” Mr Grutzner said. “It is pleasing to see the importance families place on a Melbourne Grammar School education, even in trying times.”

Edmund Rice Education Australia, which has eight Victorian schools including St Kevin’s, has assured families of a “compassionate response” in the event of financial hardship resulting from the pandemic.

“We have said very clearly that there is no enrolment risk as a result of families having difficulty paying fees,” said Edmund Rice executive director Wayne Tinsey.

“What we have found, though, is we don’t have an enormous amount of people rushing to get fee relief. Most people simply ask for more time to delay or temporarily suspend payments.”

Belgrave Heights principal Andy Callow said he had opted against introducing a broad fee ­reduction as it could detract from ability to provide targeted support to families that most needed it.

Ms Hill urged all families who are struggling to pay their school fees to approach their school for help as soon as possible.