Two in three families cutting back on household expenses to send their children to non-government schools as cost-of-living bites

Seventy-one per cent of parents who send their children to Catholic schools and 70% of parents who send their children to other non-government schools are making personal and household sacrifices to support their child’s education.

New research conducted by Freshwater Strategy on behalf of Catholic Schools NSW has found that with the cost of living dominating the household agenda in the lead-up to the federal election, parents who are already scrimping to send their children to the school they feel is best for them would be unable to cover any increase in school fees.

The NSW-based survey found that 72% of voters are concerned about the cost and standard of living – more than double the number concerned with the following top issue of housing and accommodation (32%).

With household budgets at breaking point, parents of school-aged children at non-government schools are more likely to have sacrificed personal hobbies and shopping, limited holidays, postponed major purchases such as a car or home, cut back on household expenses such as food and groceries and taken on debt to pay for fees. [see figure 1 below]

As a result, 50% of parents of children attending low-fee systemic Catholic schools and other non-government schools would be unable to afford to pay their children’s school fees without modest or severe adjustments to their family’s lifestyle if government funding were to be reduced or cut. [see figure 2 below]

CEO of Catholic Schools NSW, Dallas McInerney, says the research confirms the experience of Catholic schools that many families make significant sacrifices to give their children the best start in life.

“While the stereotype is often that only wealthy families send their children to non-government schools, Catholic schools have always found that many of the families who enrol with us are of modest means, making big sacrifices to make the choice they feel is right for their child,” Mr McInerney says.

“Parents tell us they are making these choices because they want to send their children to schools that align with their values. Parents are looking for an environment where their children will be developed academically and prepared for adulthood. They also appreciate that our schools emphasise life skills that are valuable in later life, such as self-discipline and personal presentation.

“It’s very important to us to support their aspirations. Staying true to its historical Mission, Catholic education has increased enrolments from Australia’s lower-income households year on year. We offer scholarships and other arrangements, which have seen the share of students from the bottom socioeconomic advantage quartile increase to 15.8% of enrolled students in 2024.

“Some of the results we are most proud of are our outcomes for Indigenous students, who have up to 9 per cent higher attendance rates when they attend our schools, leading to higher NAPLAN scores in years 5 and 9. These results are important, as 84 per cent of Indigenous students who complete year 12 go on to further education and training or employment.

“That’s why Catholic Schools NSW is calling out misinformation about 'overfunded' non-government schools with our campaign to Keep School Funding Fair.”

“We’re calling on all political parties to maintain supporting parents’ ability to choose the right school for their child.”

The Keep School Funding Fair explainer video and website can be viewed at:

 keepfundingfair.org.au

Catholic Schools NSW represents the state’s 593 Catholic schools and their 271,000 students.

Figure 1 

Figure 2