Private schools for kids, or invest the cash for the kids?

I think there are different factors to consider when considering a private school, too - location is huge - I'm in Brisbane and my brother is in Melbourne - and that alone makes a huge difference.

Firstly, I've gotten my daughter into a good quality, single-sex private school a few kms from the Brisbane CBD for around $10K per year. His only-known private school, at approximately 30 km from the Melbourne CBD, is around $30K per year in fees. At that price, I couldn't even consider it.

Also, in QLD, we don't need to pay for 2 different school uniforms - it's summer all year round up here

 

It really is a child-by-child decision, and a tough one, at that.

The ATAR 'thing' wasn't an issue for me (my darling daughter, the ultimate drama queen, is most likely to be destined for the spotlight; more than medical or law school). For me, the decision was made based on the fact that, no matter what her strengths or weaknesses are, they have the support or extension facilities available (and that's something that a lot of publicly-funded schools aren't able to offer).

I'm also 'lucky' that I only have one child to educate (please don't 'attack' my circumstances or family unit - a single-child family attracts a lot of criticism, without consideration of the choices or circumstances involved, and one I shouldn't have to explain or defend); but this also can have massive influence on a family's options and choices - there's a huge $ difference between putting 1, and 3, kids through a private school.

 

Not judging at all. Just my thoughts.

 

Not reading judgment at all - it's just a horribly tricky predicament for many, and with a lot of different perspectives (I was just sharing mine).

That's the problem with a situation like this - it can't just be a 'numbers game', like property investment; there are so many other factors to consider.

 

Let's just say.... It's one of those all boys school where Andrew Forrest funded a new $30mil library a couple of years ago cos his son goes there.

 

Even the lowly independent and religious based ones. They seem to have a much higher level of commitment from teaching/non-teaching staff.

We have selective schools nearby but are almost single race schools, even many of the privates are this way inclined (different races though).

We did the rounds of open days, saw many of the schools which didn't have a mix of races (even the public school the kids attended was 'spot the non-Anglo'but that's the area. The school selected has a mixed bag of kids, from high achievers to panel beaters. (bonus - it isn't ridiculously expensive either but doesn't have a swimming pool, water views or $30m library either).

 

Certainly numbers do make a difference. With one child it can be easier to afford and a $10k school sounds marvy to me. I can't fathom a $45k school that some states have. It just blows my mind.
With 3 kids we chose a school 15yrs ago when our eldest was little. We chose it for our circumstances at the time and that child. As the other kids came along there really wasn't even a thought to find out if a different school would suit them - they got their brother's school It's a pretty all rounder school though so will suit pretty much any type of child.

 

To the OP I would rather save the money and use it to help fund their university or further studies.

SYD

 

Whichever way you go, please teach the little ones financial literacy!!!

Oh my god, that would have been completely life changing if my parents had shown me how to do this!

I went to a prestigious private school, but can't see how it really helped. I strongly believe that I would have ended up in a similar career if I had gone public.

If I had been given financial literacy though....oh my....things would be VERY different.

Onwards and upwards....

 

@mrdobalina

Decision made - we toured a great public school on Thursday, and have chosen it as the one. I was stunned at how impressively resourced it was.

You over the line yet?

 

You won't know what your missing. Gorgeous Sydney morning, about 10 soccer teams in school kit crowding around the school's playing fields. Swimming pool full of kids. Rugby ovals with a couple of games underway. Mountain bike crew doing laps of the course. Rowing team is packing up.

All that at 8:00am on a Saturday. The day's barely started.

 

Our kids are in a cheapie private school (compared to most) fees around 8k.
The main factor for me was that my kids will be around other kids whose parents value education, and are willing to sacrifice and pay for it. I think that would weed out many of the drug addict/feral parents who don't care if their kids are at school, don't care what their kids are doing, and don't value education. I went through the public system and was okay (but it was in an Inmer suburb predominantly asian) but I shudder at the thought of my kids making friends with some of the sorts that also went through that system. We live in the outer suburbs so the public schools in our area are pretty poor quality, naplan results all in the red. If we lived in the inner suburbs I'd have my kids in the public system, but out here no way! I remember growing up with kids whose parents would smoke drugs with them, not make them go to school, buy them alcohol etc. I also think that when your paying for school that there is more pressure on the kids to try harder to achieve, they have the expectation that they have to get into uni, and so do their peers

 

Good post @Otie, though I do not concur with the quoted component.

I am of the firm view that self-motivation is the key in academia, not the name of the school.

 

I do agree, however one of my kids is not very motivated

@el caballo i do agree with you, though one of my kids needs pushing and the other is self motivated. The unmotivated one would have been left behind in public.

 

Do you get it from a cohort of low achievers? More importantly what % of students achieve a TER above x? Or how many go on to uni/tafe in their selected careers? Then you're just dealing with the probability of whether the kid will have a better or worse outcome.

 

@Scott No Mates , "self motivation" is as per the term, from within oneself. "A cohort of low achievers" cannot dilute that.

 

It only dampens one's expectations.

I have seen schools (even small private schools) where high achievers were praised as they got over 50%, if the bar is set low even the self motivated will not achieve.

 

The Kings?

 

We have enrolled our 2 kids into single sex private schools but still have time to mull over it. Many factors to consider, not just money. I think they are motivated individuals but good company is just as important.