Hello!

I just want to ask other parents about private and public school systems in NSW. I’m just confused about which one to choose for my little girls. Is paying heavy fees for two kids worthwhile?
How are private schools are better than public? I want to go with a girls only school but choices are very limited. My little girl is not due to start school until 2016, I just want to decide this year where I m going to enroll her. Thanks for valuable comments in advance.

Posted by Anon, 12/08/13

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  • As a child I went to both a public school and a private school and have to say the private school was better by far! Hope you find a good one that suits you


  • I hope everyone’s answers are helpful!


  • I chose private schools for my boys ..good discipline


  • I do hope you were able to find the school you were looking for


  • Another thing you can do to help make your mind up is have a walk around the neighbourhood at school closing time. I noticed a big difference in behaviour between the public and private school kids in my area, so that informed my decision.


  • i chose private school for my girls as the public ones in our area are just wild with kids fighting, doing drugs, and been totally crazy


  • I hope you have found what you are looking for!


  • It really depends on the individual school. Some private schools are very expensive, but not necessarily better. Check out schools in your area, go to open days and ask around. Word of mouth is often the best way to work out which school is best for your kids.


  • to be honest I was always of the mind that it doesn’t matter which system you use, if your kid is smart and applies themselves then it doesn’t matter if its public or private.


  • if you are serious about private schools, then i would recommend starting them in private when they are in yr 7. all primary schools are on par- public or private. the systems have changed dramatically.


  • It very much depends on the schools in your area. Some areas have great public schools, some not so great. If you’re not interested in the religious aspect of a private school, I’d talk to mums in your local area about what they think of your local public schools before making a decision. As to the single gender issue, I went to a girls only high school and personally, I found that without boys in the school, there was no bullying or competition between any of us. We all just got along and did our schoolwork and were generally very happy. However, this might have just been my school, I’m not going to guarantee that this happens in every girls only school.


  • If my daughter’s grandparents weren’t paying for her private school fees, I don’t know how we’d choose. In theory, she could attend the local public school and with the savings over two years, she could have piano lessons, a private tutor session once a week and the family could do an international holiday with what would otherwise be class fees. you’ve got to weigh up what the best use of your money is.


  • It really does depend on which teacher your children end up with… If you are looking at a ‘private’ style education without the heavy price tag perhaps look at Catholic schools. Many schools have open days, pop along to a few of these to help you in your decision.


  • We have just made our decision to enrol our daughter in a small public school and consider a private school for secondary education. We chose a school with less than 100 students that has a wonderful family and community feel to it… The parents are included in all aspects of education and everybody knows everybody. If I did not have a small school close by I would have chosen a private school with limited class numbers (streams). The local public schools in town are just too big and kids seem to get lost in the system. My best advice is to visit the schools… You will just know what is right for you.


  • If you want a girls only school you won’t really have a choice but to pay so perhaps you have already answered your own question.

    My 2 eldest started out at the local public primary school but were moved when the eldest was in year 5 and the second at the end of year 2, The youngest has been at private school all along. We moved them because the level of education they received was dependant upon who the teacher was that year and in year 5 my daughter got a shocker of a teacher and would have had her again in year 6. Once she moved (mid year) we were astonished at the difference. The teachers at our private school are very accountable for their teaching and are very focused on the individual child. We moved my son at the end of that year and my youngest started her schooling there. Our school is co-ed and goes from Prep to HSC so the children can spend their entire school life at the same location, no disruptions when they moved to “high school”.
    Our experience has been very positive with all three kids but it has come at a huge financial cost. Could the money have been better spent? For us no, but in many areas there are great public schools with fantastic teachers. My first option would always have been to spend the money on their life education rather than their school education so if we had the option of a good public school system available to us I would definitely have chosen that.

    Talk to mums with kids at school locally and get their take on what’s available, they are your best source of information.


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