Private schools popular despite increase in fees

Private schools are increasing their fees for the new academic year but wealthy parents are still scrambling to enrol their children.

A Herald survey reveals the most expensive independent school, King's College in Auckland, charges more than $15,500 in tuition fees a year. The average charge for senior students at the schools surveyed is more than $10,700.

Most of the schools have raised tuition fees by about 4 per cent. Parents choosing a private education can also expect to pay thousands of dollars in extra payments for application fees, acceptance or enrolment charges and building levies.

Despite the hefty fees, private school rolls are rising by about 0.3 per cent a year, while state school enrolments are dropping and integrated schools are climbing by just 0.1 per cent, according to figures released by Independent Schools of New Zealand.

A buoyant economy and wider choice in independent schools has made a private education more affordable for many families.

Roy Kelley, headmaster at King's College, said a private education was also increasingly attractive because of the choice it offered.

"We have a very good reputation and also offer, like many others, a choice of exams as well as NCEA."

Mr Kelley said King's College had capped its roll because it did not want large classes to compromise the quality of education.

Fees at Kings included field trips and other extras that some schools charged separately, added Mr Kelley.

The survey showed that most schools also charged application fees and a levy once a child had accepted a place. Some wanted nearly a term's tuition fees in extras, such as building levies, IT development fees, camps, music lessons and sports trips.

Many schools offered discounts of up to 10 per cent for prompt payment, and some, such as Chilton St James in Wellington, gave discounts if a family had more than one child at the school.

The lowest fees in the survey were at Carey College in Panmure, a small Christian school with a roll of about 50.

Principal Michael Drake said expenditure was managed carefully and money went into staff and teaching resources. Extra-curricular activities were largely in community-shared facilities.

As well as traditional schools such as Diocesan, St Cuthbert's, St Kentigern and King's College, the last decade has seen the emergence of several new, more affordable private schools, including Strathallan in Karaka and Pinehurst in Albany. Pinehurst opened in 1991 and, despite its proximity to the established Kristin School, it now has 740 pupils.

Chris Gregory, the school's director of development, said people no longer viewed private schools as exclusive.

Parents liked the smaller class sizes - Pinehurst's class-size limit was 20 pupils, he said.

"Private schools are no longer the domain of the rich and famous. So we have lots of children here who have to work part-time to pay for extras, such as school camps and sports trips."

The reason given for most schools raising fees was the Government pay deal for state school teachers.

Corran School's marketing manager Rose Cron said the salary increase was the "driver" in private fee increases.

"Obviously we pay staff more than the state schools and attracting great teachers is what we have to do. That's what parents are paying for - small classes and quality teachers."

Independent schools receive about $40 million in state-funding for the 4 per cent of the school-age population they cater for.

A Herald survey of voluntary contributions at state schools last week revealed many asked parents to help make ends meet because, they said, Government funding was not enough.

But Joy Quigley, executive director of Independent Schools of NZ, said the private sector was also struggling.

For the first time this year, private schools would pay more in GST on tuition fees than they receive from the Government, she said. "These are children of New Zealand taxpayers who are paying twice for education."