Some school fee estimates are not representative of the vast majority of independent schools, the Independent Schools Council of Australia (ISCA) has cautioned.
Last year, education contribution fund provider, Australian Scholarships Group (ASG), suggested the average family could pay up to $1m for K-12 private tuition.
“While ASG admit their school fee figures ‘represent the upper ranges that parents can reasonably expect to pay,’ they neglect to show just how small a proportion of Australia’s Independent schools are actually charging the kind of fees that could contribute to those sort of cumulative costs,” ISCA executive director, Colette Colman, said in a statement.
“ASG also stated that in 2015 the national metropolitan upper-range figure parents could expect to pay in secondary school fees was $19,014 per annum”, she said.
Data released by ISCA has shown that in 2014 the median Australian metropolitan private school fee was $5,887 per annum. Nationally, nearly three quarters of metropolitan Independent schools are charging below $10,000 per annum.
ISCA’s school fee information is derived from data of fees collected by Australian Independent schools in 2014, and reflects the great diversity that can be found across schools and between states and territories.
ASG state their school fee estimates have been derived from a 2013 survey (and CPI adjusted to 2015) of 7,000 of their parent members, which asked them to estimate various costs that they paid for their children’s schooling.
“Fees in Independent schools vary greatly, with the majority of them much more affordable than modelling like ASG’s suggests,” Colman said, adding parents should do their own research on the fees of schools that interest them.
“They state these are a guide only and do not guarantee that they will represent actual costs. Parents should take note of this.”
Last year, education contribution fund provider, Australian Scholarships Group (ASG), suggested the average family could pay up to $1m for K-12 private tuition.
“While ASG admit their school fee figures ‘represent the upper ranges that parents can reasonably expect to pay,’ they neglect to show just how small a proportion of Australia’s Independent schools are actually charging the kind of fees that could contribute to those sort of cumulative costs,” ISCA executive director, Colette Colman, said in a statement.
“ASG also stated that in 2015 the national metropolitan upper-range figure parents could expect to pay in secondary school fees was $19,014 per annum”, she said.
Data released by ISCA has shown that in 2014 the median Australian metropolitan private school fee was $5,887 per annum. Nationally, nearly three quarters of metropolitan Independent schools are charging below $10,000 per annum.
ISCA’s school fee information is derived from data of fees collected by Australian Independent schools in 2014, and reflects the great diversity that can be found across schools and between states and territories.
ASG state their school fee estimates have been derived from a 2013 survey (and CPI adjusted to 2015) of 7,000 of their parent members, which asked them to estimate various costs that they paid for their children’s schooling.
“Fees in Independent schools vary greatly, with the majority of them much more affordable than modelling like ASG’s suggests,” Colman said, adding parents should do their own research on the fees of schools that interest them.
“They state these are a guide only and do not guarantee that they will represent actual costs. Parents should take note of this.”