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What are Independent Schools? Independent schools are non-government schools. They are a diverse group of schools serving a range of different communities. Many independent schools provide a religious or values based education. Others promote a particular education philosophy or interpretation of mainstream education. Independent schools include
Independent schools include small and large day schools, boarding schools, co-educational, and single-sex schools. Independent schools are not-for-profit institutions founded by religious or other groups in the community and are registered with the relevant State or Territory education authority. Most independent schools are set up and governed independently on an individual-school basis – hence the name independent schools sector. However some independent schools with common aims and educational philosophies are governed and administered as small systems, for example the Lutheran system. The independent schools sector makes up about 40 percent of the overall non-government school sector. The Catholic sector makes up the remaining 60 percent. The two groups are not mutually exclusive as there are some Catholic schools with an independent tradition that maintain affiliations across both sectors. Whom do independent schools serve? The students who attend independent schools are as diverse as the schools themselves. They include indigenous students, gifted students, students with disabilities and learning difficulties and also overseas students. As a group, independent schools draw students from all sections of the Australian community. Why do parents choose independent schools? The existence of independent schools means that parents and children have greater options in the choice of school education. Parents choose to send their children to independent schools for many different reasons, and common considerations include:
But above all, they choose independent schools because they feel a particular independent school will best serve their child and their child’s education. Independent Schools Facts and Figures In 2007, there were 1,025 independent schools in Australia with some 458,339 full-time equivalent (FTE) students and over 68,000 staff. Independent school enrolments account for 13 percent of all Australian school enrolments compared with 20 percent for the Catholic sector and 67 percent for government schools.
Independent schools account for 17 percent of total FTE secondary enrolments (44 percent of non-government), and 11 percent of full-time primary enrolments (36 percent of non-government). Primary Secondary
Fifty-four percent of FTE enrolments in independent schools are secondary students and 46 percent are primary students. The majority of students are enrolled in combined primary/secondary schools. The independent sector has over 16,900 boarders at its schools and 87 percent of school level overseas students attending non-government schools are enrolled in independent schools. Fifteen percent of Australia’s school teachers are employed in the independent sector, together with some 19 percent of non-teaching staff in all schools. View more information on school statistics.
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about independent schools |
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