Private to public school system switch on the cards for parents as cost of living crisis continues

More than a third of NSW parents are considering transferring their children from the private to the public school system to save money, according to new research.

The comparison site Finder surveyed 1,000 people with children under the age of 12 and found that 14 percent had already made the switch and 50 percent had considered it.

Another 20 percent said they considered the move because of rising interest rates and inflation, and just 20 percent said they were not considering taking their child out of private education.

Back to school costs are rising with new research revealing that more than a third of NSW parents are considering moving to the public school system to save money

NSW had the highest number of parents withdrawing their children from private schools in the country.

The most recent Parenting Report published by Finder showed that less than 10 per cent of Australian parents had taken their children out of private education, indicating that the cost of living crisis is hitting Sydneysiders the hardest.

Sydney’s median rent shot up 28.4% to $695.81 a week in 2022, making it the most expensive capital market in Australia, according to data from SMQ Research.

Sarah Megginson, a Finder money specialist and mother of three, said the daily telegraph private school education is ‘on the chopping block’ for families.

‘Education in a private school is a ‘luxury’,’ he said.

“It’s hard to pay school fees when all the other bills are going up at the same time.”

The survey of more than 1,000 people with children under 12 found that more than 50 per cent of NSW parents said they had considered moving their children to a public primary school for the next year, with 14 per cent having already done so. the change.

The most recent Parenting Report published by Finder showed that less than 10 per cent of Australian parents had taken their children out of private education, indicating that the cost of living crisis hit Sydney residents the hardest.

Kate Hill, a group executive at Futurity, an investment firm that provides education-related advice to families with school-age children, said rising fees and extra school expenses were pushing parents to their financial limits.

‘School fees play a factor, however, outside of tuition, software and electronic devices, uniforms, transportation, sports equipment and musical instruments are demanding a much larger share of the household budget than in the past,’ raising the total cost of education. ‘ she said.

‘Private school tuition increases of between three and five percent equate to hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars a year.

“Not surprisingly, parents are considering school choice in an effort to ease the cost of living burden.”