The significant cost of educating children in Australia is forcing parents to work more hours and families to cut back on holidays.
Australian families are reconsidering whether to have more children and are relying on others for help to pay for education fees as the cost of schooling accumulates.
For a child starting school in 2026, it will cost families in major cities $113,594 for a government education, $247,174 for private schooling and $369,594 to send them to an independent school over 13 years.
In rural and outlying regions, the cost of a government education reaches $100,395, while families opting for Catholic schooling will spend $223,874, and those choosing independent institutions face a bill of $230,144.
The research conducted by school finance group Futurity takes in school fee data from Australia’s curriculum authority and interviews with 2500 parents about their spending habits.
Melbourne topped the capital cities in government school costs at $121,202, while regional and remote Queensland parents face the steepest education bill of $108,647.
Government school fees made up 13 per cent for metro and five per cent for regional costs, with the remaining amount going to add-ons including outside tutoring, transport, school camps and uniforms.
Residents of Canberra incur the highest expenses for a Catholic education, whereas those in remote parts of Queensland encounter the steepest fees, totaling $273,494.
Independent schools are most expensive in Melbourne, costing 435,902 while Western Australia is the priciest for regional and remote schools at $275,639.
Families value education, with nine in 10 saying education is important for their child to thrive in life, Futurity’s Sarah McAdie said.
“(They) are prepared to make sacrifices in order for their child to access the education that the parents choose and value for their child,” she told the Australian Associated Press.
To alleviate financial pressures, many parents are turning to strategies such as buying second-hand school uniforms, extending the lifespan of laptops, and cutting back on expenses for musical instruments and camps.
A third of respondents said they turned to credit debt, while others are having fewer family holidays and working more to afford the quality education for their kids.
Over half said they rely on others, including grandparents, to pay for their children’s education.
“Alarmingly, 45 per cent of parents said that they are now considering having less children as a result of the cost of raising and educating a child today,” McAdie said.
Families have been tightening their spending as concern increases about Australian schools being fully funded, according to the Australian Council of State School Organisations.
“When the household budget is under pressure, things like sport and camps and upgrades are the first things that are scaled back,” interim chair Peter Garrigan said.
He said the real test is whether every child can participate fully without money being a barrier, as parents turn to the “bank of grandparents” for help.
“Australia’s society should be able to support everyone to do that,” Garrigan said.
In Australia, 63 per cent of students are enrolled in government schools, followed by 20 per cent in Catholic schools and 17 per cent in independent schools, according to the bureau of statistics.
