3 months ago
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New data reveals West Australian parents earning top dollar are sending their children to some of the most expensive schools in the state – but several smaller, less-expensive schools are surprise inclusions in the list.
Families with a median income of $376,000 – the highest for a school in WA and one of the highest nationally – are sending their children to Christ Church Grammar School, the latest figures from the Department of Education show.
All schools in the top 10 list for median parent earnings cater for students from kindergarten through to year 12, except for the Quintilian School – an independent primary school.
Both that school, and the only Catholic school to make the list – John XXIII College – had considerably lower yearly fees than the others.
The majority of schools were also located in Perth’s affluent western suburbs, indicating many parents were choosing to send their children to schools near where they lived.
Association of Independent Schools WA executive director Chris Massey said parent choice was often influenced by a combination of factors, including the school’s reputation and its location.
“Many families consider the quality and breadth of education, the school’s values or faith, and the community it fosters, alongside the convenience of its location,” he said.
“Families make financial sacrifices to send their children to preferred schools.
“Many parents prioritise education and are willing to make significant adjustments to their finances to ensure their children have access to the best possible learning environment that suits their needs.”
The income of parents at the state’s wealthiest schools has again called into question the amount of government funding those schools received.
Christ Church – which also earned more than $8 million from donations, investments and other income streams in 2023 – received more than $9.5 million in both state and federal government funding in the same year.
Leading education economist Adam Rorris said there was no reason for some of the wealthiest schools in the country to be receiving millions in taxpayer money when fees were so high, and parents could clearly afford them.
“There’s absolutely nothing equitable in over-funding the schools that have the most privileged students, while government is simultaneously claiming it does not have the money to provide minimum resourcing to schools that have some of the most underprivileged students within their catchment,” he said.
But Massey said the higher the income level of the parent community the less government money that school received, after the federal government updated its funding model based on parents’ capacity to contribute.
“I am not sure how this can lead to any notion of overfunding,” he said.
“The sacrifices made by the parents and families towards the cost of independent schooling delivers significant savings to government and to taxpayers.
“This also eases the overall demand on public funds, allowing resources to be directed to other vital areas of need.”
Massey said the balance between public and private supported a “stronger, more sustainable education system for all Western Australians”.
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