A new national campaign is calling for greater recognition of parents’ school choices, with new research suggesting more Australian families are choosing independent schools despite ongoing cost-of-living pressures.
Independent Schools Australia (ISA) has launched a national campaign aimed at giving families a stronger voice in the education debate, arguing that parents’ decisions about where to educate their children should play a greater role in shaping education policy.
The campaign, titled School Choice Counts, is accompanied by a new report, The Great Education Shift, which examines enrolment trends and the factors influencing parents’ school choices. It will be promoted through billboards, digital advertising and online video across a number of federal electorates, as well as Canberra and Adelaide.
According to the report, independent schools enrolled 767,712 students across 1,240 schools in 2025, with enrolments increasing by around three per cent during the year. ISA says the sector has now recorded stronger enrolment growth than government and Catholic schools for eight consecutive years.
ISA Chief Executive Officer Graham Catt said the campaign reflects changing patterns in Australian education.
“Parents are choosing. Policy should reflect reality,” Mr Catt said.
He said families are selecting schools based on factors including academic quality, student wellbeing, school culture, values and the overall fit for their child.
“Parents do not choose a sector. They choose a school — the school they believe is right for their child,” he said.
The report also highlights the financial commitment many families make when choosing an independent school. It found that 75 per cent of surveyed families had adjusted their household budgets to afford school fees, while 57 per cent had saved specifically for school fees for at least three years.
ISA estimates that families and school communities contributed $11.2 billion towards the cost of independent schooling in 2024, covering 51.8 per cent of the sector’s total costs nationally.
The research also found strong support among surveyed parents for government funding to follow students regardless of the school they attend. According to the report, 91 per cent of respondents said government funding should support families’ ability to choose the school that best meets their child’s needs, while 86 per cent believed every student should receive some level of government funding.
Mr Catt said the campaign was intended to recognise the role families play across Australia’s education system.
“Government, Catholic and Independent schools all contribute to Australian education,” he said.
“This campaign is about recognising the families who choose Independent schools and the contribution they make.”