教育金融公司EdStart近日公布了针对澳洲私立学校学费的调查数据，结果显示在经历了长达10多年的快速增长之后，今年私立学校的学费仅有小幅增长。

《澳洲人报》14日报道，今年澳洲私立学校的学费平均将增长4%，虽然仍保持着增长的势头，但增速渐缓。在2017年，墨尔本顶尖私立学校的学费平均将增长4.1%，其中Xavier学院的学费将增长5.3%达到2.7万元，而Camberwell文法学校的学费将增长4.9%达到3万元。

相对来说，位于悉尼和堪培拉的学校费用今年增速趋缓，将平均增长3.9%达到2.9万元。其中增速最高的当属位于悉尼中西部的女子学校PLC Croydon，今年其学费将增长6.5%达到3.1万元。而增速第二高的是位于悉尼北部的男子学校St Aloysius，今年的学费达到1.7万元，不过它仍然是悉尼收费最低的精英学校。

这些私立学校对于学费增长的控制，反映出家长们可能也存在偏爱公立学校的倾向。而澳洲私立学校协会会长布莱克伍德（Beth Blackwood）表示，这些数据表明学校们考虑到了家长们的经济状况。

“我知道许多学校都对学费的增长加以限制，因为大家都清楚有些地区的经济情况并没有那么好，而且这会影响到学生家长。尤其是在西澳地区，那里的矿业发展得不是很顺利，因此许多家长可能手头比较紧，支付学费这件事就比往年显得更不容易了。”据布莱克伍德介绍，今年西澳地区大部分私立学校学费的增长率都控制在了2.5%以内。

School fee rises slow with economy

Private schools across the country have hit parents with an average fee increase of 4 per cent for the year ahead, continuing a trend of slowing fee rises.

Private school fees at Melbourne’s top schools have risen an average 4.1 per cent for 2017, led by increases of 5.3 per cent at Xavier College to $27,120 a year and 4.9 per cent at Camberwell Grammar School to $30,960.

Data compiled by education financing company EdStart shows private schools are attempting to put the brakes on fee rises after more than a decade of breakneck growth.

Fee growth at schools in Sydney and Canberra has cooled this year, rising 3.9 per cent to an average of $29,849, compared with a 4 per cent increase in 2016.

Girls’ school PLC Croydon, in Sydney’s inner west, led the increases with a 6.5 per cent jump this year to $31,680. The second biggest increase was by boys’ school St Aloysius in North Sydney, which nevertheless remained among the most affordable of the city’s elite schools, charging $17,624 for the year.

 

The slowdown in fee growth comes as parents around the country are showing a greater preference for public schools, with government-run selective schools and state schools in higher socio-economic areas increasing their market share at the expense of private schools.

The chief executive of the Australian Heads of Independent Schools Association, Beth Blackwood, said schools were mindful of the economic situation.

“I know that schools have been very conscious of restraints when it comes to school fees this year because they know that the economic situation in many states isn’t great and it’s affecting parents,” she said.

Although fees have risen at a slower pace along the east coast, the trend is especially pronounced throughout Queensland and Western Australia, where parents are battling employment uncertainty and a cooling economic outlook.

Private school fees across Brisbane and the Gold Coast will rise on average 2.8 per cent for the 2017 school year, to an average of $19,716.

Fees at Brisbane Boys College and girls’ school Somerville House increase 3.5 per cent to just more than $21,200, while Moreton Bay College posted the lowest fee increase of 2 per cent.

Schools in Western Australia have also attempted to temper fee growth, according to Ms Blackwood, who said many were trying to cap fee increases at about 2.5 per cent.

“I don’t know how successful they have been, but there’s an awareness that many parents are doing it tough because of the mining downturn, and for many, paying school fees is harder than ever,” she said.

Independent schools, which typically derive about 8 per cent of funds from state and federal subsidies, are also facing an uncertain outlook for government support as they enter the final stage of a federal funding package to be renegotiated next year.

This means schools will look to boost their cash reserves, Ms Blackwood said.