Illawarra parents are digging deeper to educate their children, with costs in regional NSW among the highest in the country.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Many NSW parents will spend up to $1 million on their children’s kindergarten to year 12 education, according to the Australian Scholarships Group (ASG) Planning for Education Index.
An ASG survey found the forecast cost of private education in regional NSW for a child born in 2015 was the second-highest in Australia, behind Victoria, at $343,385.
Parents in the public system aren’t being spared high costs, with regional NSW ($54,421) the most expensive when compared with similar areas across the country.
Mangerton mum Tracey Kirk-Downey has two daughters – one enrolled at a private college, the other at a public high school.
Claire, 17, is preparing to start her final year at St Mary Star of the Sea College, while 13-year-old Lara is about to begin year 8 at Wollongong High School of the Performing Arts.
For Mrs Kirk-Downey, that decision was about ‘‘different schools for different children’’.
‘‘Not one model fits all kids,’’ Mrs Kirk-Downey said.
She said Claire went to St Mary’s for its learning environment, not for a ‘‘better education’’.
Lara was also accepted into the private school, but chose Wollongong High to pursue her passion for singing.
Mrs Kirk-Downey said the family would have spent about $30,000 on Clair’s high school fees alone.
Lara’s fees are around $1000 a year, which doesn’t include additional costs like excursions.
‘‘We could have [sent both girls to a private school], but things would have been very tough at home,’’ she said.
‘‘While school fees are a major issue, it’s all the stuff to actually get them in the front door ... it adds up.’’
ASG chief executive John Velegrinis said education was ‘‘one of life’s major investments’’ and urged parents to start planning financially from their child’s birth, regardless of the school system chosen.
ASG measures school fees, transport, uniforms, computers, excursions and sporting trips to determine the cost of education.