'We've reached a tipping point': Students swing back to state schools
Victorian families are increasingly choosing state schools over a private education, with the shift back to the government sector set to continue for at least another five years.
Rising private school fees, inflating living costs and the improved reputation of state schools are believed to have reversed the long-running exodus away from public schools.
New figures obtained from the Victorian Education Department reveal state schools’ share of enrolments are expected to jump from 63.7 per cent in 2018 to 64.7 per cent in 2022. This is up from a low of 62.8 per cent just four years ago.
Meanwhile, non-government schools’ share of enrolments are expected to decrease from 36.3 to 35.3 per cent over this period.
The shift began three years ago and followed a steady 20-year decline in the proportion of families choosing to send their children to government schools.
Education Minister James Merlino said the new data showed that people’s pride in government schools was improving. This is one of the state government's Education State targets.
“What we are seeing for the first time in more than 30 years is a significant increase in parents actively choosing to send their kids to a government school,” he said.
Victorian schools will have to accommodate a staggering one million students in 2020.
The state and non-government sector will play an important role in meeting this demand, Mr Merlino said.
Australian Institute of Family Studies director Anne Hollonds suspects rising living costs, housing unaffordability and stagnant wages growth could be driving more families towards state schools.
“There are a whole lot of economic issues families will be weighing up in terms of where to put their money,” she said.
“Maybe we have reached a tipping point, and people are saying we just can't afford it now?”
She also believes a mini-baby boom in the primary years and parents’ overall confidence in government education may have also also boosted student numbers.
“It’s not just a last resort because they can’t afford the private school,” she explained.
Fiona Bonnett moved from a small independent girls school to Camberwell High last year and enjoys the size and diversity of her new school.
The 17-year-old said she sometimes felt isolated at her previous school, and was upset when a teacher encouraged her to drop VCE maths methods after she fell behind due to a cycling accident.
“The school I went to was a good school but not quite the right fit for me,” she said.
Saving $30,000 a year in fees has also been a pleasant surprise, according to Fiona’s father David.
“We are renting and the fact that we are not spending the money on education means we might now purchase a house,” he said.
Camberwell High principal Jill Laughlin said families in her area looked at all schools before making a decision about where to send their child.
“Parents who attend our information nights are comparing us to a private school option,” she said.
“One of the comments parents make when they move their child here is they should have looked at the government school more carefully because they hadn't realised what was offered here.”
This trend is also playing out nationally.
Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show that across the nation, government schools' share of student enrolments increased to 65.6 per cent in 2017, up from 65.4 per cent in 2016 and 65.1 per cent in 2014.