REVEALED: The rising cost of educating your children

REGIONAL Queensland is the most expensive in Australia to educate a child in a religious school, research released today reveals.

The already hefty cost of education is on the rise. Picture: Tony Martin

SUNSHINE Coast parents hoping to send their kids to religious schools will pay 12% more than a decade ago, a survey including regional Australia has revealed today.

The ASG Planning for Education Index, released today, discovered that for a child born in 2017 the forecast cost of a "systemic” (religious) education in regional Queensland is $199,328, 12% or $20,635 above the national regional average ($178,693).

Based on more than 12,500 responses, the index calculates a range of variables including school fees, transport, uniforms, computers, school excursions and sporting trips to determine the cost of education.

School fees, the cost of extracurricular activities including excursions and uniforms have all risen in the past year, however computers and transport costs have fallen when compared to 2016.

Noosa mother-of-two Skye Duncan says she is surprised at the cost of education.

"It's a bit frightening really, but we're expecting to pay around $2000 a year in school fees, which will probably be our biggest expense,” she said.

"Briley (Year 2) and Mac (Prep) attend a Catholic primary school and we live around the corner from the Catholic high school, so we hope they can go there.

"We want to teach our children that they can achieve whatever they put their minds to.

"At the moment, Mac wants to be a monster truck driver and Briley wants to be a bird keeper.”

The results of the survey were slightly better for parents who plan to send their children to government or private schools in regional Queensland, with both slightly below the national regional average.

The forecast cost of a government education in regional Queensland is $51,299, which is similar to the national regional average ($51,948), and third only to regional Victoria ($54,510) and regional New South Wales ($53,806) as Australia's most expensive regions.

The cost of a private education in regional Queensland is estimated to be $337,027, which is $4784 less than the national regional average ($341,811), but significantly more expensive than regional Western Australia ($319,135) and regional South Australia ($295,924).

The survey also discovered that the estimated cost of a private education across regional Australia had soared by 61% in the past decade. For a child born in 2017 the forecast cost of a private education across regional Australia is $341,811, a jump of $130,148 compared to a child born in 2007 ($211,663).

ASG CEO John Velegrinis says the cost of education has risen at two and a half times the rate of inflation over the past decade.

"Our research predicts the cost of education will increase, irrespective of whether you send your child to a government, systemic or private school,” he said.

"The estimated cost of a government education across regional Australia has jumped $8443 in the past decade. That is why we encourage parents to start planning for education as early as possible, even from the moment their child is born.”

Mr Velegrinis says Australians are fortunate to have excellent government, systemic (religious) and private schools to choose from, but costs can spiral out of control.

"If you have three children, the cost of educating them in Queensland's regional private education system could top $1 million. That's more than the purchase price of the average family home,” he said.

"We advocate parents use a disciplined approach by putting a little bit away each week so they can financially afford their children's educational goals and aspirations.”

Originally published as REVEALED: The rising cost of educating your children