The Education Dilemma – fee or ‘free’ for quality

Parents will spend an estimated $500,000 per child for a complete package of private primary and secondary education, according to recent modelling by the Australian Scholarships Group.

Despite the cost, a large number of parents in Canberra still prefer to send their children to private institutions.

Jessica Taulaga asks, are they entitled to expect better outcomes.

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According to the Australian Scholarships Group Planning for Education Index, parents of children born in 2015 will be spending more than $500,000 on 13 years of private schooling.

While there is a belief that private education guarantees a brighter future for those enrolled, David Gillespie’s newest book, ‘Free Schools’, argues that private education doesn’t promise a better outcome from a public school. Gillespie’s debunks the myth of ‘quality education’ in private institutions, establishing that quality teaching staff can be found in all schools; private and public.

The Independent Education Union’s organiser, Jackie Groom, believes “The public versus private debate is fuelled by people who don’t understand the real purpose of education and choose to use it for political means.”

John Greenwell is the Communications & Research Officer at the Australian Education Union (AEU) while Denis Dickinson is UC High School’s principal and has been teaching for over 15 years. Both argue that while the choice of private school or public school is up to parents, both institutions offer quality education and teaching staff.

[Filed on 2 October 2015]