High price for classes

PARENTS sending their kids to any of the state’s five most expensive schools are forking out more than $13,000 a year.

The cost per child is revealed in an independent analysis of school financial records. All the data is on our website today.

TASMANIA’S 10 most expensive schools are all independent, with parents forking out more than $15,000 a year, tightly held school statistics reveal.

An independent analysis of school financial records from the MySchool website has shown how much schools are making from fees, charges and parental contributions.

The Friends’ School in North Hobart, — where in 2017 parents forked out an average $15,432 per child in fees, charges and contributions — is the state’s most expensive.

Scotch Oakburn College in Launceston was next at $14,114.

The third most expensive Tasmanian school was Hutchins in Sandy Bay with an average of $13,998.

The school with the fourth highest parental contributions was St Michael’s Collegiate School in Hobart at $13,360.

Rounding out the top six were Launceston Church Grammar School at $13,085 per year and Fahan at $12,529.

Independent Schools Tasmania executive director Tony Crehan said parents paid school fees in order to be able to send their child to a school of their choice, not directed to the school nearest their home.

“In doing so they get to choose a school whose values and educational ethos match those of the family,” he said.

“They can be sure the individual needs of their child will be recognised and met by the school, in academic and vocational learning, student wellbeing and pastoral care.

“They can rely on the fact that independent schools depend on satisfied parents for their survival and must always strive for excellence to maintain enrolments.”

The North-West’s most expensive school was Marist Regional College in Burnie where the average amount parents had to fork out in fees, charges and contributions in 2017 was $3661.

The most expensive Catholic school was St Virgil’s College at $4926 and the most expensive government school was Taroona High School at $964.

In a statement, Tasmanian Catholic Education, which has over 16,000 students enrolled in its 38 schools and colleges, said their fees were “reflective of the community they serve and capacity to pay the fees” as measured by socio-economic status scores.

“Tasmanian Catholic schools have the lowest average school fees as compared to other Catholic schools in other states and territories,” the statement read.

“Catholic schools provide for the whole person – be that academic, spiritual, social, emotional and physical, to provide a rounded education.”

Unsurprisingly, the state’s cheapest schools were all government schools, including five listed as not having any fees, charges or parental contributions.