Hi everyone, DD is due to start prep in 2017 and I'm having a hard time deciding on whether she should have a private or a public education. There are a few public primary schools I wouldn't mind her going to, though it's just a matter of whether we'll live in the catchment area or not as my partner and I are going to buy a house next year. I feel that a public education is great, I had one and myself and most of my friends from school are doing really well these days. DD's father is adamant that private schools are the way to go as he had a private education, and is willing to help with the costs etc. I always thought that the only difference with private schools was religious education and fancy uniforms, but I've done some research and there is a private school I'm looking into that seems really great and I think DD would do really well there. But I'm just so worried about the costs, it all seems so expensive. So I guess I'm asking what other people's opinions are. Did you enroll your child into a private school? How do you manage the costs? Was it a good decision? Thanks for your advice :)
4 Replies
I went to a public school for primary and a private school for high school. My two sons are in a public school, it is a small independent school and they are very happy there. I always thought public for primary, private for high. The reality is that private schooling is expensive and I would rather spend the extra money on tutors if they needed the extra assistance and we have a perfectly good high school in our area.
It’s a matter of preference of course and quite a highly contentious issue if you speak to most parents, or parents at our school anyway. I know that I don’t want to send my kids to a private school just so I can say that I do.
Honestly in your position I would not agree to private school unless her father is prepared to pay the entire school fees and you get that in writing or you pay what public would charge and he pays the bulk.
It is very expensive depending on the schools. But it happens quite a lot where dad insists on the school then stops paying his portion of the fees leaving mum in financial hardship. I have friends who are going through this now.
If you can't afford it you can't afford it, so it's important to be very clear about it.
My son has been to a combo of public and private, only because he has a disability and we couldn't get him into a special needs class so went to a private disability school. My sister who is a doctor went the entire way through public. If a child is interested in learning they will do well anywhere.
I agree with what the previous poster said. If the father is willing to pay then let him. For all of it.
After saying that though my kids were private school educated but only because the public school they were zoned for had a very bad reputation. I later moved and enrolled them into public. They thrived in both.
I went public for primary school as we're rural and I could get my son into a great little country school where he flourished. He has just graduated from a private college where he completed his secondary schooling and to put it in perspective for you I've spent over $25K on tuition for 5 years plus camps and plus excursions. The uniforms alone were a thousand dollars and that doesn't include shoes. Even the bus if you need to use one was 8 grand for the 5 years. I sent him there as it came highly recommended. If the father is paying for it, factor in uniforms, transport and extras as well. Even the P&C "voluntary contribution" added to each invoice was $30 a term. Factor it ALL in and get a contract signed before enrolling.