{"id":181327,"date":"2023-11-04T18:31:39","date_gmt":"2023-11-04T18:31:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hotworldreport.com\/?p=181327"},"modified":"2023-11-04T18:31:39","modified_gmt":"2023-11-04T18:31:39","slug":"500-fee-just-to-join-the-queue-what-private-school-parents-will-pay-to-wait","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hotworldreport.com\/world-news\/500-fee-just-to-join-the-queue-what-private-school-parents-will-pay-to-wait\/","title":{"rendered":"$500 fee just to join the queue: What private school parents will pay to wait"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Parents are paying hundreds in non-refundable fees to secure a spot on waiting lists for Victoria\u2019s most sought-after private schools, some within days of their children being born.<\/p>\n

Independent and Catholic schools charge as much as $500 a child to join waiting lists \u2013 and that\u2019s before additional enrolment fees when they are offered a place.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Bhavika Unnadkat and her nine-year-old daughter Shrishti Rane, whom she placed on waiting lists for three schools from infancy.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Penny Stephens<\/cite><\/p>\n

Fee increases likely to be imposed by some schools in response to the introduction of payroll tax could turn a small proportion of parents away from private education and therefore reduce waiting lists, according to one industry insider.<\/p>\n

But it was unlikely to discourage many others, who believe waiting lists are just part of schooling in the cachet-driven world of Melbourne education.<\/p>\n

Almost 20 of the state\u2019s 60 highest-fee private schools charge more than $200 to join their waiting lists. St Kevin\u2019s College in Toorak and The Geelong College in Geelong both charge $500.<\/p>\n

Parents critical of the process have called it a \u201ccash grab\u201d on social media, but others believe the process is a fair and a distinctly Melbourne rite of passage.<\/p>\n

Education consultant Paul O\u2019Shannassy advises clients to join up to four waiting lists for schools where they think their child could be a good fit.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome of them will baulk at some of the higher application fees but in the main, they see it as a very small expense to get themselves in the queue.\u201d<\/p>\n

O\u2019Shannassy said the most positions he had seen was a mother who had registered her two children on 12 waiting lists, but he attributed her action to growing up outside of Melbourne and not understanding the system. \u201cShe had offers coming out her ears.\u201d <\/p>\n

He said competition had increased with the post-pandemic return of migrant families, who saw their children\u2019s education as \u201cthe be-all, end-all\u201d. <\/p>\n

For many, it\u2019s a case of the sooner, the better. Scotch College says on its website that initial offers of places for prep, grade 4 and year 7 are primarily determined by the number of days elapsed from birth to the date of receipt of the application.<\/p>\n

O\u2019Shannassy said that for all schools, \u201cif you put them down in grade 5 for year 7, you will likely get turned away\u201d.<\/p>\n

Melbourne\u2019s demand for private schools is partly fuelled by a lack of selective state schools. NSW has 51; Victoria has four. Given that coveted public school zones can add hundreds of thousands of dollars to the price of a property, many families opt to put that money to private schooling instead.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn Melbourne, the school tie is a big deal,\u201d O\u2019Shannassy said. \u201cPeople in Sydney, they want to know where you live. People in Melbourne want to know who you barrack for and where you went to school.\u201d <\/p>\n

But he said that as private school fees increased, he expected to see waiting lists drop by up to 15 per cent.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs these fees go up, there\u2019s not an endless stream of goodwill. It\u2019s like petrol. If It\u2019s suddenly $4 a litre, I\u2019m catching the train.\u201d<\/p>\n

Greenvale Lakes mother Bhavika Unnadkat put her daughter, Shrishti Rane, 8, on waiting lists at two schools when she was nine months old. She added her to another school\u2019s waiting list soon after.<\/p>\n

Unnadkat said she had spent up to $900 on waiting-list fees before her child was offered a place because she believed private schooling would offer more resources, smaller class sizes and greater flexibility in curriculum design.<\/p>\n

She said she would welcome fee capping, but said transparency was a greater issue. \u201cThey could inform parents about the number of expressions of interest they\u2019ve received and where parents stand in terms of their chances of securing a spot.\u201d<\/p>\n

As a member of the Australian Parents Council board, Unnadkat said she had discussed waiting lists with many parents, including some who had lost non-refundable fees due to late admissions to their preferred schools.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis lack of transparency and clarity can cause significant stress and concerns for both parents and students,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

A spokesperson for St Kevin\u2019s said the college would reduce its waiting-list charge when it finalised its new fee structure this month. They said the school had strong waiting lists for many years to come.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe reality is parents are also increasingly enrolling their children in multiple schools and making a final choice based upon their circumstances if and when an offer of enrolment is made. As a result of this, places inevitably open up at various schools at the last minute.\u201d<\/p>\n

Geelong College principal Dr Peter Miller said the registration fee was set at a level to \u201censure the commitment by a family to obtaining a place is significant\u201d.<\/p>\n

Chris Duncan, from the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia, said waiting-list fees were not a \u201cgrab for cash\u201d, but allowed schools to cover the administrative costs of processing applications.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not just filling in a form and sending it to the school, there\u2019s quite a bit more involved.\u201d<\/p>\n

An Australian Competition and Consumer Commission spokesperson said schools should provide clear and upfront information to consumers about the total fee that applied and any terms and conditions around the application.<\/p>\n

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