Melbourne Has The Most Expensive Cost Of Education In Australia

Many Australians continue to suffer from the cost of living crisis, while a report shows that Melbourne’s “free” public education will cost as much as $102,807. 

The Futurity Investment Group cost of education index says that the total cost of government education in Victoria is 17% above the national average of $87,528. 

Although parents are not required to pay mandatory fees, the data reveals that Melbourne parents have to pay three times more on outside tuition than school fees, adding the cost of electronic devices, school camps, musical instruments and transportation fees. 

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Victorian families who enter the school system for the first time often encounter a “cost shock” as the cost of education, regardless of school type, includes more than just tuition fees. 

There is a hidden cost of education in the schooling system in which parents are expected to pay a voluntary financial contribution. 

The Victorian Council of Social Service (VCOSS) says that some school costs are meant to be voluntary, but this is not always made clear to families. 

The report shows that sending a child to government primary school in 2023 would cost $368 for school fees and $6,725 for ancillary costs, including uniforms, outside school tuition and electronic devices. 

Parents wanting to send their children to Independent primary schools could spend $17,372 on intuition and ancillary fees, which counted 39% of the total cost in 2023.  

The report estimates a total of $2,013 for tuition fees and $7,824 for ancillary costs for parents with children in the Melbourne Catholic primary system. 

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