Private School Enrolments Surge in Australia Sparking Debate on Public Education Funding
Private school enrolments in Australia have increased significantly over the past five years, leading to concerns regarding public school funding and a potential mass exit from the public education system.
Private schools have surpassed public schools in enrolment numbers over the past five years, igniting a debate about a "public system that is being left to rot". Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) released on Monday indicated an increase of 45,008 students enrolled in Australian schools in 2024 compared to 2023.
Out of these, 39,589 students opted for private schools, while only 5,419 were enrolled in public schools.
Between 2023 and 2024, there were 4.1 million kids enrolled in the Australian school system, with 63.4 per cent enrolled in government schools, 19.9 per cent in Catholic schools, and 16.8 per cent in independent schools.
In the five-year period leading up to 2024, total student enrolments increased by 4.6 per cent, with independent schools experiencing the largest growth at 18.5 per cent, followed by Catholic schools with 6.6 per cent, and government schools with a mere 1 per cent.
The issue of government funding for public education has been raised, with Greens education spokeswoman Penny Allman-Payne stating that the underfunding of government schools has "catastrophic consequences".
"We shouldn't sugar coat it. We are at risk of a full-blown flight of parents and kids out of a public system that is being left to rot while money pours into the pockets of the richest private schools," Ms Allman-Payne commented.
The so-called "flight" from the public education system is evidenced by the stark differences in enrolment figures between government and non-government sectors.
In the last year, government primary school enrolments fell by 4,312 students, whereas non-government primary schools saw an increase of 14,171 students. Government secondary schools had 9,731 more students enrolled, while private institutions grew by 25,418 more students.
A report from the Productivity Commission highlights the disparity in funding, revealing that private schools receive 1.22 times more funding per student than the public sector over the past decade. This has led to claims of a "deeply inequitable system" regarding funding distribution, according to Australian Education Union (AEU) federal president Correna Haythorpe.
"The gap in funding between public schools and private schools is increasing, with government spending in private schools outpacing government funding for public schools by 22 per cent over the last decade," Ms Haythorpe stated.
In contrast, Margery Evans, chief executive of the Association of Independent Schools of NSW, argued that the AEU has "misrepresented" the data.
"The AEU has yet again misrepresented the data in an attempt to suggest that non-government schools receive more public funding than their government school counterparts," Ms Evans remarked. "The significant increase in independent school enrolments indicates that more families are choosing non-government schools despite misleading claims about school funding."
