Thriving Victorian Independent schools meet growing need

Enrolments in 228 Independent schools across the state rose by 6,890 to a record 172,670 last year, according to official data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics today.

The 4.2 per cent increase, maintaining a record set in 2023, confirms Independent schools are the fastest growing school sector, enrolling 16 per cent of all school students in the state. Enrolments in government schools rose by 1 per cent and by 1.4 per cent in Catholic schools.

The Chief Executive of Independent Schools Victoria, Ms Rachel Holthouse, said the figures showed Independent schools were meeting the needs of students from all walks of life.

‘These schools and the students who attend them mirror the diversity of our community,’ Ms Holthouse said. ‘Parents from a wide range of backgrounds clearly embrace the choices they provide when seeking a school that aligns with their values and aspirations.’

The sustained growth came despite a cost-of-living crisis and pressure on family budgets, and increases in school operating costs, compounded in many cases by the impact of the punitive payroll tax.

Enrolments rose across all fee levels. The most dramatic growth was in schools charging fees in the low-to-middle fee ranges, attracting families in the lower to middle income groups.

An outstanding feature of the growth is in Special and Special Assistance Schools, catering for students with disability, with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties, or who struggle to ‘fit in’ at a conventional school.

Enrolment in these schools surged by 21 per cent over the past year, to 4379 students, and have more than doubled in the past five years.

‘These unique Independent schools are filling a gap, meeting a need that other schools find challenging,’ Ms Holthouse said.

The Victorian figures are reflected nationally, with 691,883 students enrolled in Australian Independent schools after numbers grew by 3.9 per cent last year.

Islamic schools maintained their recent pattern of strong growth, enrolling more than 1350 new students, and now educating 18,808 students.

Analysis by ISV shows 110 Victorian Independent schools are classified as low fee, using the Victorian Government’s definition of one that charges $8,125 a year or less. These schools educate 56,583 students, or 32.7 per cent of all students in the Independent sector.

Close to 66,000 students at Victorian Independent schools come from families in lower socio-economic backgrounds, based on their capacity to contribute to their children’s education, the measure used by the Federal Government when calculating funding for non-government schools.

Growth remained strong in 53 schools that charge more than $20,000 in annual fees, where enrolments grew by 1094 students, an increase of 1.8 per cent over 2023.

Consistent with previous years, growth continues to be strongest on the periphery of Melbourne, with the greatest growth in the Cities of Wyndham (816 additional students), Melton (587), Casey (500) and Hume (476).

Victorian Independent school enrolments have increased by 43,833 from 128,837 students in 2014. This represents growth in the sector of 34 per cent, or an average annual growth rate of 3 per cent.