Schools

[bienkie]

Hi there

I was just wondering what the reasons would be for choosing private instead of government schools in Australia ? Back here in SA there is the obvious reasons like teacher:child ratio and extra subjects etc.

Just wondering......

[Bob]

Private schools in Australia are run by the churches, primarily as an extension of their parish work to their parishioners.

However, up to 30% of Australian kids are now being schooled privately.

The local State or Territory governments run their own State schools with funding from the Australian gov't.

The Australian Commonwealth (Federal) gov't gives funding directly also to private schools, otherwise it would be too dear for most Aussies to send their kids to private schools., as the local State or Territory gov't give no funding to private schools in their State.

Basically, parents want a particular emphasis on their children's education. Being a Christian myself, I wanted an emphasis on christian education for my three kids which is not allowed in today's secular State schools where no religious education is on the curriculum, nor are Christmas carols even being allowed to be sung officially for the past 12 years.

I paid a variety of school fees throughout the years my kids each went to school, but they ranged from A$400 a term in primary school to A$1 000 a term in their High School years.

There's no tax deduction for paying school fees, although a "donation" to the school "building fund" is fully tax deductible.

Private schools are springing up all over Australia as the demand seems to be there for Australian parents wanting more out of the educational system than what the local State or Territory Education department is prepared to supply.

My son won the South Australian Apprentice of the Year, being runner-up for the Australian Apprentice of the year (out of half a million apprentices).

My handicapped daughter reads, writes and works in Woolworth's part time and lives away from home in Adelaide.

My youngest daughter is currently sitting her exams for entrance to study Medicine. She is studying Occupational Therapy at the mo, but is thinking of a change.

Personally, I believe my expectations of my three kids and the money I spent on each of their educations privately hasn't been a total waste.