Religious schools poach public pupils

More parents are choosing to pay for a religious education for their children, sapping enrolments from public schools for the second year running.

Religious schools boosted enrolments last year.

More parents are choosing to pay for a religious education for their children, sapping enrolments from public schools for the second year running.

Waiting lists for private schools have stretched more after enrolments surged during the pandemic at the expense of free government schools, data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows.

Enrolments jumped 12.5 per cent in independent schools, 3.9 per cent in Catholic schools but only 1.9 per cent in public schools between 2018 to 2022.

The change accelerated last year, when government school enrolments fell by nearly 17,000 students – a drop of 0.6 per cent.

Nearly 29,000 extra students enrolled in independent and Catholic schools last year – up 2 per cent.

Total enrolments across all types of schools flatlined at just 0.3 per cent last year – the lowest rise in two decades – because of falling immigration and fewer foreign students.

Despite the trend, nearly two-thirds of Australia’s four million students attend public schools, one in five attends Catholic schools and one in six attends independent schools charging up to $40,000 a year in fees.

The drift to religious education is stoking opposition to Australian Law Reform Commission proposals to stop religious schools excluding teachers who don’t share faith and beliefs.

National Catholic Education executive director Jacinta Collins said the ABS data showed that Catholic families placed a great importance on schooling that “reflects their values and beliefs’’.

“It is a timely reminder that school choice is a highly valued component of the Australian education system and parents want an authentic faith-based education for their children,’’ Ms Collins said.

She said the Catholic education sector was “extremely disappointed’’ in the ALRC’s proposed reforms, outlined in its inquiry into anti-discrimination laws and religious schools.

“The proposed changes would remove or severely restrict the ability of Catholic schools to prioritise employment of staff and enrolment of students from our faith background, or to operate and teach in accordance with our Catholic ethos,’’ she said.

“As the first and foremost educators of their children, the right of parents to choose a school based on their religious beliefs is recognised in international human rights law, and Australian law needs to reflect this right.

“Catholic schools are highly valued and respected in the community and should be free to continue to be Catholic.’’

Independent Schools Australia chief executive Carolyn Grantskalns said private schools enrolled an extra 1045 First Nat­ions students last year – a 6.6 per cent increase.

She said more children were enrolled in private schools than ever, with enrolments rising fastest in low-fee schools. “Every parent has the right to choose the school that best fits their child and their family,’’ she said. “The independent sector has been Australia’s fastest growing school sector for more than a decade.’’

Association of Independent Schools NSW chief executive Margery Evans said waiting lists for private schools were growing longer. She said much of the enrolment growth was in low and mid-fee Anglican, Islamic and Christian schools in Sydney’s newer suburbs.

“Almost all of these schools serve low to middle income communities in high growth areas,’’ she said.

Ms Evans said demand for ­places exceeded supply in many private schools.