In the case of the Tiwi Islands, there is no government sector secondary school option, making Tiwi College the only ‘choice’ for many students.

“Not all private schools are castles” the lead spokesman for independent schools across Australia says.

Chief executive of Independent Schools Australia (ISA) Graham Catt chose Tiwi College — a remote school on the Tiwi Islands, home of the famous Rioli footy dynasty — to make the bold statement as the federal election draws closer.

“When people attack independent schools, they often have a stereotype in mind,” Mr Catt said.

“But schools like this are actually the reality.”

Mr Catt described a broad spectrum of private schools, with the archetypical affluent prestigious schools on one side, and high-needs schools like Tiwi College on the other.

The ISA labels independent schools like Tiwi College as “non-systemic”, describing them as low-to-no fee schools which specifically support vulnerable and disadvantaged students, including young Indigenous people, and students living with disabilities.

Cheryl Salter from the Association of Independent Schools NT said 200 out of the 1,216 independent schools nationally fit into this category.

“Schools like (Tiwi College) support students with some of the highest levels of need,” she said.

Ms Salter and Mr Catt want to challenge the public’s perception of what an independent school is, arguing they are not just “for wealthy people”.

Tiwi College principal James Faraone said the independence of the school was an integral part of its education delivery, with the Tiwi Land Council — not the Department of Education — calling the shots.

“The founding fathers wanted to do it independently — Tiwi-way,” he said.

“There were just some things they could not deliver as part of the government sector.”

The school’s health worker, and the first Aboriginal Health Practitioner to come from the Tiwi Islands, Gideon Pangiraminni, agreed independence was the best path for the students and community.

“If it’s Tiwi controlled, it’s Tiwi-way,” he said.

“People in town shouldn’t tell us what to do.

“They’re not here on the ground — they don’t know what we do.”

Tiwi College has what Mr Catt described as a “symbiotic relationship” with another independent school at the other end of the spectrum — the elite Scotch College in Melbourne.

Scotch College shares resources and expertise with Tiwi College, and Tiwi reciprocates by hosting Scotch students a few times each year.

“The experience for those students to go from Toorak to Tiwi, and vice-versa is invaluable,” Mr Faraone said.

Both Scotch and Tiwi College receive government funding.

Each Scotch student receives $3,487 from the federal government and $999 from the Victorian government, with families contributing on average $35,372 in fees.

Tiwi students receive $65,299 from the federal government and $10,146 from the NT government and $0 from families — placing it as the highest funded non-government school per student in the Northern Territory, much more than other remote Indigenous government schools like Maningrida College or Shepherdson College (Galiwinku).

The school funding debate is shaping up to become a key election issue off the back of successive funding agreements between the Albanese government and state and territory education systems.

Mr Catt cautioned against what some frame as a tug of war between the different sectors, Catholic, independent and government schools.

“Every student in Australia deserves some support from government for their education,” Mr Catt said.

“It’s not a zero sums game,” he said.

“We’re advocates for school choice.

“We’re more than happy for the public school down the road to be just as good a choice for parents as the local independent school.”

Mr Catt said neither of the major parties had so far committed to the ISA’s five-point school choices campaign, with discussions ongoing.

At a national level, Mr Catt said choice would be guaranteed through more increased government funding that keeps independent school fees affordable for families — 60 per cent of whom are low and middle income earners.

At a Territory level, Ms Salter said one of the biggest barriers to choice was the “shortfall” and “instability” in government funding for vulnerable Indigenous boarding students.

Mr Faraone said further funding would allow him to grow Tiwi College’s enrolment from 58 students, with current funding for boarders being the greatest impediment.

“The insecurity of not knowing what funding may be available in the next 5-10 years makes it really hard to realise the vision on the ground,” he said.

“Whoever forms government after May 3 must commit to a permanent solution for Indigenous boarding funding,” Mr Catt said.

On the other side of the funding fence, public sector advocates said they were pleased with the recent funding agreements made with the Albanese government, but feared a Coalition government could walk them back.

“There is a very real threat that these agreements could be ripped up under a Dutton government, just as the previous Coalition government did when they came to power in 2013,” AEU federal president Correna Haythorpe said.

“The AEU is calling on Peter Dutton to release his education policy, and promise to uphold the public school funding deal signed between the Albanese and Territory governments.

“The only conclusions that can be drawn from the Opposition leader’s comments thus far is that public schools funding and the federal Department of Education are gravely at risk if a Dutton government is elected.”