As young people returned to the classroom over the last few weeks, trends in Australian schooling began to emerge surrounding back-to-school spending and tuition fees.
Two surveys conducted by major Australian organisations have found that Aussie households continue to spend more on back-to-school supplies. Similarly, while enrollments in private schools grow, public schools have reported enrollment losses.
Back-to-school mayhem
The Australian Retailers Association, in partnership with Roy Morgan, revealed earlier this year that Aussies spent around $2.7 billion on back-to-school purchases, rising $150 million from last year. This comes as the country continues to struggle through a cost of living crisis, revealing interesting trends in spending and saving habits.
There were several key findings from the ARA research, which found that 5.1 million people (24 percent of Aussies over 18 years old), spent an average of $525 on back-to-school related products, up from an average of $512 in 2024.
Of those who participated in the survey, individuals in the 35 – 49-year-old age bracket shelled out the most money at an average of $600 each, making up $1.75 billion of the $2.7 billion spent overall.
The most popular purchases this year were stationery (mentioned by 55 percent of respondents), school uniforms (53 percent), shoes (50 percent) and books (40 percent).
According to Fleur Brown, ARA Chief Industry Affairs Officer, these purchases offered a welcome boost in spending for retailers.
“Back to School sales are the first seasonal moment for retail after Boxing Day and peak season trading. Whilst these are mostly essential purchase items, for many retailers they provide positive momentum to begin the year,” she said.
“After a tough year, with interest rates remaining high and household budgets stretched for many families, we expect to see a continued focus on value in the spending activity.”
Public and private
On top of this research into Back to School spending habits, another study from the Australian Bureau of Statistics has found that enrollments in private schools are at an all-time high. In 2024, it was reported that over 1.5 million children attended private school, a boost of 39,589 from the previous year.
Representatives from the public school system say this change is a reflection of the funding crisis currently impacting public schools across the country.
This is highlighted in a state-by-state breakdown of public school enrolment, showing either a loss of students or minuscule growth. Overall, government schools increased by just 0.2 percent. Some states, such as New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania, Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory, reported drops in overall enrolment.
However, this is combatted by a new 10-year funding program announced by the Federal Government. Known as the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement, it will strive to lift public school funding to 25 percent, as opposed to the current 20 percent funding provided by the Commonwealth. It sets out a series of reforms intended to help every public school in achieving 100 percent of the Schooling Resource Standard.
The three major pillars of this reform are; equity and excellence, wellbeing for learning and engagement, and a strong and sustainable workforce.
While this program only came into effect on January 1 2025, it represents an overall commitment to improving Australia’s schooling system and ensuring every child gets a quality education.
Interested in learning more about Australian schooling? To read about the importance of educating young people on cyber safety, click here.