It costs nearly a million dollars to educate two children at Sydney’s most expensive private schools

Association of Independent Schools of NSW chief executive Margery Evans said the average fees charged by independent schools in NSW is around $5200 a year but technology is a rising cost.

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“School costs have increased due to a number of factors, including more sophisticated technology, licensing and the need for stronger cybersecurity,” she said.

A public school education was valued at $89,500. Voluntary contributions per year were estimated at $208, electronics at $671, field trips at $158, and inpatient expenses at $207.

Sydney is the cheapest city in the country for parents sending their children to Catholic schools, with the total cost of an education estimated at $178,478 over 13 years.

Parents were projected to pay $2397 in fees and pay almost double that if they hire outside tutors, spending $4244 per year.

Kate Hill, chief executive of Futurity Group, said she believes the high outlay on outside tutors was due to COVID, as parents tried to ensure their child was not behind.

“For 10th grade we have a list of approved laptops. The cheapest is a MacBook Pro and it costs $1800.”

Parent Jolina Crescini, who has six children in Catholic school

“Some children struggle to get back into the school environment. I think there’s an acceleration in using outside help to get kids back on track,” she said.

Jolina Crescini, from Winston Hills in north-west Sydney, sent her six children to the local Catholic school and said she appreciated the sibling discount but said the extra costs added up.

“In 7th grade they had to buy iPads and now for 10th grade we have a list of approved laptops. The cheapest is a MacBook Pro, and it’s $1800,” she said.

“I was expecting to pay for a laptop, but at the same time it’s a pretty big expense.”

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