Factcheck: No, wealth isn’t just ‘hard earned savings’ and here’s the data that proves it.
Another day, day 15 after the budget, and the press is still full of stories trying to evoke sympathy for the downtrodden rich in Australia.
Three quarters (76%) of parents with children at independent (non-Catholic private) schools think government funding for private schools should “increase at a rate closer to the consumer price index”, according to a new poll published by Independent Schools Australia.
Thu 28 May 2026 11.00 AEST
Photo: AAP Image/Bianca De Marchi
Three quarters (76%) of parents with children at independent (non-Catholic private) schools think government funding for private schools should “increase at a rate closer to the consumer price index”, according to a new poll published by Independent Schools Australia.
It’s unclear if Independent Schools Australia has thought through the implications of this result, because it would mean less money for private schools, not more.
Since 2009, the Consumer Price Index (which tracks inflation) has gone up by 48%.
Over the same period, government funding for independent schools has increased by 88%, from $8,300 to $15,700 per student annually.
If public funding for independent schools instead had been pegged to inflation, per-student funding would now be $12,367 annually – over $3,000 less.
Parental contributions to independent schools have increased by a similar amount to government funding: from $6,500 in 2009 to over $12,000 now 2009, well above the rate of inflation.
The Independent Schools poll also shows that over a quarter (28%) of parents have had to cut back on essentials like groceries, medicine and transport to pay for fees, and that 18% had moved house or let out a room to meet school costs.
If they had polled parents about the fees they pay, would they want those to increase closer to inflation, too?
The increasing privatisation of Australia’s school system has created multi-billion dollar funding gaps for public schools, while still sending public money to elite private schools like Melbourne Girls Grammar or Scots College.
But it also means that many parents feel they have no choice but to spend tens of thousands of dollars to ensure their child gets a good education.
This isn’t just an education problem; it’s a cost-of-living problem.
Australia is a wealthy country, with more than enough money to ensure a quality education for every single child, free of charge. Why doesn’t it?
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Another day, day 15 after the budget, and the press is still full of stories trying to evoke sympathy for the downtrodden rich in Australia.
Advocates have warned the Albanese government’s planned overhaul of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) risks repeating the very policy failures that led to the system’s creation in the first place. Muriel Cummins from grassroots campaign Every Australian Counts – which fought to establish the NDIS - cautioned that while the reforms may reduce visible government spending, they risk increasing costs elsewhere.
