Great divide in school fees
Some parents of Adelaide public school students are paying up to three times as much as others, a snapshot collated by 7News has revealed.
While today was the first day back in the classroom for 2013, a snapshot shows just how much annual school fees vary from school to school.
At Craigmore, in the northern suburbs, parents pay $284, just under the Government’s recommended rate of $300.
But at Brighton, it is more than three times that, with fees coming to $920.
Other schools in the snapshot (and their annual fees) include:
- Henley, $695
- Norwood Morialta $750
- Adelaide $745
- Christies Beach $384
“(It’s) a terrible social distinction between people who live in one part of the state compared with another,” David Smith from the Australian Education Union said.
Primary school fees start at $214 and cover the cost basics, including books and IT systems.
Certain subjects can cost even more.
The Australian Education Union says the current public system is leaving some children disadvantaged, and it says the only way to make it a level playing field is to abolish fees altogether.
“If you are going to have an effective and fair public education system, then that should be totally and adequately funded, not propped up by parents,” Mr Smith said.
The State Government says the current system works.
“All schools should be able to deliver the same level of education for their students,” said Education Minister Jennifer Rankine.
