Why parents are really opting for private schools

The Age

5 days ago

A growing number of parents are choosing to enrol their children in religious private schools, despite the proportion of students who identify as having no religion almost doubling over the decade.
Over the past five years, independent schools gained more students than any other sector, particularly in regional NSW, where enrolments jumped by 4.3 per cent, with 13,659 students joining their local private school.
Faith-based independent schools are experiencing some of the biggest growth, a trend demographer Mark McCrindle has described as 'remarkable' and signifies a shift in society.
'You've got a significant proportion of the population who even though they might be secular in mindset are looking for the values of that faith, and they want that for their children, and they see that in these independent schools,' McCrindle said.
The trend is particularly prominent in regional NSW, as enrolments in private schools grow in Tweed, the Mid North Coast and Newcastle.
'These schools are clearly meeting a need beyond congregational or parish life,' he said. Instead, parents are attracted to the schools' 'values' and 'community approach'.
'It tells us that hard secularism is actually not where mainstream Australian families are at. They might not be particularly religious in their own practice, but it doesn't mean that they're of no belief and completely secular in approach.'
The Association of Independent Schools of NSW (AISNSW), the peak body for the state's private schools, released a report this week showing private schools enrol 19.5 per cent of all students, up from 13.1 per cent in 2000.