Sydney is the most costly city in Australia for private schooling,but the most affordable for a Catholic education,which will set parents back $178,478 for a child to attend kindergarten to year 12,according to analysis by education finance company Futurity Investment Group.
Jolina Crescini,who has five children enrolled in Catholic schools,said laptops were particularly expensive this yearRhett Wyman
The research found the average cost of sending two children to a Sydney private school for 13 years stands at $715,862.
However,a family enrolling a child at Kambala at Rose Bay –– will now pay $514,100 for 13 years of schooling for one child– a figure which does not include future fee increases,extra costs such as uniforms or any outside tutoring.
The bill for sending two girls there will cost $976,790,slightly less than double because the school offers a 10 per cent sibling discount.
The Scots College in Bellevue Hill costs $459,975 for one boy to attend for 13 years of schooling,while fees for a girl during the same period at SCEGGS Darlinghurst currently stand at $476,696.
According to the Futurity report,which was compiled by social research company McCrindle and surveyed parents at 517 schools in NSW,the median cost of sending a child to an independent school was significantly less at $357,931.
Half of that figure was fees,for which surveyed parents are expected to pay an average of $8920 per year. Other yearly costs were forecast to be $2708 for electronic devices,$1767 for tutoring and $818 to pay for musical instruments and $501 per year for uniforms.
Association of Independent Schools of NSW chief executive Margery Evans said the median fees charged by NSW independent schools was $5200 per year but technology was a rising cost.
“School costs have risen due to a range of factors,including more sophisticated technology,licences and the need for stronger cybersecurity,” she said.
A public school education was estimated to cost $89,500. Voluntary contributions per year were estimated to cost $208,electronic devices were forecast to cost $671,excursion costs ran at $158 and stationery costs were $207.
Sydney is the most affordable city in the nation for parents who send their children to Catholic schools,with the total cost of an education estimated to be $178,478 over 13 years.
Parents were forecast to pay $2397 in fees and almost double that on hiring outside tutors,spending $4244 a year.
Futurity group executive Kate Hill said she believed the high spend on outside tutors was due to COVID as parents sought to make sure their child was not behind.
‘For year 10,we have a list of the laptops which are approved. The cheapest thing is a MacBook Pro,and it is $1800.’
Parent Jolina Crescini,who has six children in Catholic school
“A number of children have struggled to come back into the schooling environment,I think there is an acceleration of using outside help to get kids back up to speed,” she said.
Jolina Crescini,from Winston Hills in Sydney’s northwest,sent her six children to the local Catholic school and said she appreciated the sibling discount but said extra costs added up.
Jolina Crescini with her children Roman,7,Emerald,9,Dean Crescin,11,and Myles Crescin,13.Rhett Wyman
“In year 7 they had to buy iPads,and now for year 10,we have a list of the laptops which are approved. The cheapest thing is a MacBook Pro,and it is $1800,” she said.
“I was expecting to have to pay for a laptop,but at the same time it is quite a big expense.”
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