Australia\u2019s high school education system has just made the global list for something no one wants: the most expensive. With the cost of sending a child to school in Australia four times higher than the OECD average, families are feeling the pinch more than ever. Here’s why it\u2019s happening, and what it means for Aussie parents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to a new report by the Australia Institute, the average Australian family spends around $4,967 a year to send a child to public high school. If you think that\u2019s steep, private high school fees can hit a staggering $55,000 per year, making Australia the most expensive place in the developed world for high school education. For comparison, the OECD average for high school fees is far less, sitting at around $1,300 per year, reports 9News.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n So, Australians are not just paying more \u2014 they\u2019re paying a lot more, and that\u2019s without even factoring in the cost of things like uniforms, books, and extra-curricular activities. The private school sector is a huge contributor to this price spike, with more than 40% of Australian high schoolers attending private institutions, a number that is predicted to climb to 50% by 2055. This is a stark contrast to countries like the United States, where only 9% of high school students attend private schools, or the United Kingdom, where the figure is just 8%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n