Australia's top private schools have always been in high demand.
As the economy continues to slump, more and more Chinese parents are unable to cope with the financial pressure, and have to let their children drop out of school or give up their places.
"Private schools can't afford to spend, so they can only go." They said, "You can't just go to a private school and stop the whole family from eating or drinking, right?" ”
*"Private schools are consumer goods, and you can only go if you can't afford them"*
Tina, who lives in Melbourne, has applied for her Year 9 daughter to leave private school.
"I can't afford it, so there's no need to hold on."
She told reporters that her daughter entered this popular top girls' school in Grade 7, and the annual cost is about 50,000 Australian dollars.
At first, he could afford it, but his income in China was declining, and his money was getting tighter and tighter.
"I've raised a 'rotten baby'."
She reluctantly said that her child's grades were at the bottom of the class and that it was not a big problem when the economy was well-off, but "now that I am getting poorer and poorer, I naturally have to consider the input-output ratio." ”
Schematic diagram (image source: Internet)
Friends around her persuaded her that she should let her daughter finish private school, they thought that this would be good for the child's future "circle", and it would not look good to drop out of school.
Tina believes that "spending $150,000 to pay for face, it is still difficult for me to suffer, and I don't want to think about it." ”
She said that the Parent Association had launched a campaign to donate tuition fees for poor students, and she felt that staying in a private school would also have an impact on the children's psychology.
"Actually, the results are all excuses. Private schools are consumer goods, and we can't afford them now, so we can only go. ”
*"You can't go to a private school and the whole family doesn't eat or drink, right?" ”*
Mr. Lin (pseudonym), who is also in Melbourne, has also been busy with his children's school transfer recently.
His wife was recently laid off, and the family's finances were in dire straits, and the two children were unable to sustain about $80,000 a year in private school fees.
He told reporters that his personal annual income after tax was about $90,000.
The living expenses are at least $30,000 per year, the mortgage is about $36,000 per year, and the total annual basic expenses are nearly $70,000.
He said helplessly, "You can't just go to a private school and the whole family doesn't eat or drink, right?" ”
Church schools are less expensive (Image source: Internet)
To do this, he plans to transfer his children to a church school with lower tuition fees.
The whole family also had a family meeting on this matter, but I didn't expect the children to agree and express their understanding.
"Actually, I feel very sorry for the child, but there is nothing else I can do."
Mr. Lin lamented that it is too risky for dual-income families to provide for their two children to attend private schools.
He is also not optimistic about the economic situation and employment prospects in the next few years. Even if his wife gets a job, he doesn't plan to transfer his children back to his old private school.
"A stable learning environment, a less stressful life, and good for the whole family."
*"A few years ago, as soon as the house was sold, the problem was solved"*
Last month, Ms. Zhang (not her real name) received an acceptance letter from a top private school for her son.
It should have been a happy thing, but at the moment it made her sad, "I've been waiting for 6 years, but now I don't want to go." ”
It stands to reason that there should be no hesitation in looking forward to this, but the reality is that Ms. Zhang has already purchased a property in Doncaster East so that her son can attend a top-ranked public secondary school.
The private school that sent the admission letter is located in KEW, which is 17 kilometers apart, and it takes more than 30 minutes to drive each way, and the transportation cost is too high.
As for the purchase of property in Kew, the house price of more than 2 million Australian dollars makes her sigh "unattainable".
She reluctantly said that the main reason is that the value of real estate in China has shrunk sharply, and the realization cycle is very long, and the cost of living in Australia is also very expensive, and it has relied on deposit subsidies in recent years.
"In fact, to put it bluntly, it is to become poorer, money is getting tighter and tighter, and I can't bear it." She sighed and said, "If it had been a few years ago, as soon as the house was sold, the problem would have been solved." ”
*Tuition fees skyrocketed, and parents were frequently sued by the school to bankruptcy*
The latest data from the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) shows that Victorian private school fees have risen by more than 40% over the past 10 years, compared with only 3% for public schools. In today's economic climate, more parents are struggling with private school fees than ever before, and many parents have even been taken to court by schools.
The nationwide Debt Helpline is supporting a growing number of parents.
If schools obtain court decisions, they can force the sale of parents' property, deduct wages from bank accounts and force parents to declare bankruptcy, the organization said.
News that parents were sued for bankruptcy (picture source: Internet)
In the past year, the prestigious Caulfield Grammar School has bankrupted three parents who owed less than $9,000, while Trinity Grammar School has sued six parents in the past four years.
Sam Sondhi, CEO of Futurity Investment Group, said: "Tuition fees have risen so much that many families are on the verge of collapse. Nearly a quarter of households are struggling to pay their bills, and 21% of parents are working more than they would expect to pay for school. ”
Based on the 2024 tuition fees, the total cost of a single student attending 13 years is expected to be about $195,000 for church schools and $316,000 for private schools.
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