Banksia

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/...205981004.html

and

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/...205980986.html

ABCDiamond

Those top private schools sure are expensive :scared:

I'm glad there are are so many more options for lower cost private schools here

Whilst on the subject though, some information for those that will be in the State and lower priced Private schooling system:

You have to pay for consumable books etc that will be used by your child during the year, eg: glue, exercise books etc. An example cost for one school locally is $144.48 for everything required for year 4.
This includes a YAMAHA recorder (for music lessons), a reading Novel "Matilda by Roald Dahl", Guide books for Maths, Comprehension, Spelling and Handwriting, and 4 Bostick Glue sticks priced at $2.50 each !!

I think I could get it all a bit cheaper if I bought it from KMart, but that price is from the recommended local suppling newsagent and includes delivery to the home.

jayr

Our Year 3 list was about $150 or so. For manythings it's easier to buy from the school - what, after all, is a chairbag? Also they put things like "A4 folder with strap, turquoise" or "music book, 48 pages, red cover" etc. making it much simpler to buy than hunt around. At least the Dictionary we needed was $10 less than in the bookstores.

MrsDagboy

Jayr, is yours state or private?

Similarly, ours last year for Year 1 was around $120/child (I think I posted the exact amount on here if anyone wants to look through my 3000+ posts ), I havent added up this years Year 2 list yet, but Im expecting it to be similar to yours & ABC's. Ours is state school.

Jaykay

We're really lucky with the school that my daughter goes to.

It's all included in the cost of the schooling, so we don't have to buy anything, apart from her uniform and art smock. That said, it's going to cost us about $1100 for her schooling this year :scared:

Banksia

This nice little earner is not confined to the lower priced sector. Changes in technology (I should know, I've been involved) permit schools to bill for what lawyers delicately call "petties" even more comprehensively than lawyers do! I think these schools are now training the future lawyer students how to do it even better than they used to. Schools tend to compete on "percentage" increase parity. Except that the more blatant ones just change their policy on what they bill as "extras" and what is included in the standard fee.

ABCDiamond

That sounds bad :scared: If I didn't already have a child in Private school, you'd be putting me off thinking about it

jayr

State School - it included about $50 of books - reading, spelling, maths and a Dictionary. Also some sort of Technology fee - can't remember what that was for. I think Year 2 only cost about $80

Banksia

Better to be under no illusion on the education front. Depending on one's expectations, it can consume a large part of one's budget. The private school system has been increasing its costs by several times the rate of inflation for decades, while of course, continuting to ravage the public purse as well. For political reasons, that is unlikely to stop so everyone has an interest in realising what goes on

ABCDiamond

The average "public purse" cost of each child going to a State School is around $9,000 per year

The average "public purse" cost of each child going to a Private School is around $4,700 per year. I wouldn't call that "ravaging" the public purse.

When compared to the UK system, where UK parents sending children to Private schools fully opt out of the State school system, the Australian system appears to have been set up to only reduce the public costs of educating children where parents can provide part of the cost, and not for the Government to opt out of sharing any of the cost.

The result of this has been a situation where 32% of school children have part of their education costs subsidised by the parents, thererfore reducing "public purse" costs. Yet government still have a certain amount of control over these private schools.

I agree completely. It can be very expensive, if you choose a very expensive school, or it can be as low as around a $1,000 per year, if you choose an inexpensive private school, or even lower if you choose a State school.
As you say, it does depend on peoples expectations and which schools we choose, and which areas we live in. However, the $ price we pay, as parents, may not affect the end results for our children, as many State schools produce just as highly educated children as the private schools.

steandleigh

Kitting the kids out for school is an expensive exercise, as we've just found out, to our horror!!! :scared:

Prep Class:
Letters and sounds book $9.95
Personal dictionary $6.95
sounds right, ead and write book $10.95
1 Art smock $23.00
1 document wallet $0.80
8 scrapbooks ( @$3 each ) $24.00
1 Copy paper ream $7.00
2 workbooks $14.00
1 library bag $10.00
4 Cans of playdough $12.00
1 Display folder $3.50
1 Plastic bookcover $2.50
1 handwriting strip $2.00
1 number desk strip $2.00
1Esky snackmate $23.00
1 Esky coolpack $3.00
1 laundry marker $2.00
1 Plastic drinking cup with handle $2.00
1 ball of coloured wool $2.00
1 Packet of patty pans $2.50
1 Packet white paper plates $3.00

Year 2 Class:
1 Desk strip letters $2.00
1 Desk strip numbers $2.00
Maths plus mentals 2 $12.00
Personal dictionary $6.95
Music writing book $8.50
Handwriting made easy book $10.50
Crave book $19.00
Spelling matters book $11.95
Targeting maths book $14.95
Oxford illustrated junior dictionary $26.95
1 Art smock $23.00
1 calculator ( sharp 231 ) $10.00
1 Colured pencils pkt 12 $3.00
1 Copy paper ream $7.00
2 Document wallets $1.60
2 erasers $3.00
10 exercise books (@70c each) $7.00
1 pkt feltpens $5.00
8 Glue sticks (@ $2.50 each) $20.00
2 Grid books $1.40
2 Hometime workbooks $15.00
1 library bag $10.00
1 pencil case, Tartan $3.50
20 pencils (@80c each) $16.00
2 Project books $3.00
1 wooden ruler $1.00
1 Scissors $3.50
6 Scrapbooks $18.00
1 Sharpener $1.50
1 plastic book cover $2.50
2 Display folders $7.00
1 esky snackmate $23.00
1 Esky coolpack $3.00
1 Laundry marker $3.00


Grand total: $447.31

Plus for uniforms:

2 backpacks (one medium, one prep) $85.00
2 Legionaire caps $15.99
2 shorts $51.99
2 shirts $64.00
2 primary dresses $92.00
2 pairs brown leather sandals $120.00

Total: $418.98
( And i can dream on, if I think that 2 sets of uniform will be enough to last my two kids for a whole school year!!!! So more to be purchased when my bank account can stand it.... )

All the above is "regulation", alternatives not permitted....

All up: $866.29 :scared:

jad n rich

Nobodies mentioned THE ENVELOPE.


The little white packet that comes home most weeks with each child hungrily ready for money Art levy, science levy, school levy, paper levy, building levy, fundraiser to buy books, contribution to buy some paints, trip to the pool, trip to see play at highschool, end of term popcorn day, etc etc etc the bookpacks are the cheap part.

Grade 6 $158
Grade 4 $134 which of course you constantly replenish.

Weve done state and done private. This year we are going back to state but with a private tutor at $30.00 an hour, we anticipate the $17,000 we spent on private would be well in excess of what we will spend on a tutor and our boys will still get the basic education at state school and the very important social interaction. I will post how it goes

ABCDiamond

Ouch, which school is that for ?

I've just been out getting some stationery items, and those in your quote that I left in the quote, tie in with some that we had to get, and your post has made me feel better about OUR costs sorry

3 Scrapbooks at 1.15 each
10 various special exercise books at between 25c and 49c each
1 pack of 12 Texta Nylorite marking pens for $1.10 the pack
4 Glue Sticks Bostick 35g $2.50 each total $10.00 - But only $6 for 4 in KMart
10 Pencils Staedtler @40c each $4.00
1 wooden ruler 30c
These prices are our schools quoted price from their supplier. We can buy were we like as long as we stick to brands where specified. (Kmart have exercise books at 1c each today, maximum of 10 per person !! pity they aren't the ones we need )

Seems like some schools charge like wounded bulls. :scared:

ABCDiamond

We don't get those. One local private school just has one quarterly levy to cover ALL extras including excursions etc., but they now include it with the fees when quoting costs.

eg: Annual Total $3,019
consists of:
Basic Tuition Fee $ 2,060 : all costs per year
Building Fund $ 325
Activities levy $ 538
Parents group levy $ 96 (this was decided by parents as an alternative to the normal regular chocolate drives etc. )

We looked into private tuition, in the same way you mentioned, and if it had come out better for us, we would have done the same. I feel it would be much better than paying some of the more expensive school fees.

steandleigh

It's the Trinity Anglican School, here in Cairns,

Glad you feel better about your costs!!!

YES, seems like they do know how to CHARGE!!!! :scared: