There's a strange trend in Australia where parents who choose independent schools for their children are made to feel guilty, as though they should apologise for making the best decision for their family.
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Why? Because critics, ranging from politicians and activist unions to think tanks and lobbyists, have decided that school choice is something to attack rather than respect.
This narrative paints independent school families as privileged and undeserving of support while conveniently ignoring the sacrifices many make to afford school fees.
It's a calculated effort to divide families and frame education as a zero-sum game, where the success of one student supposedly comes at the expense of another.
That's simply not true.
I know this firsthand. My family wasn't wealthy. My mum didn't finish high school and sometimes had to live in a tent. My dad started as a bank teller and worked incredibly hard to build a better future for us. Neither of them went to university.
I proudly attended a public school until year 7, but my parents, who weren't well-off, made the tough decision to send my brother and me to Rockhampton Grammar School.
They weren't alone in making that choice.
More than 60 per cent of students in independent schools come from low- and middle-income families.
Some parents stretch their budgets, cut back on essentials like groceries, medicine and transport, rent out a room in their house, and work extra hours to make school fees work.
Others choose independent schools because they align with their values, offer strong pastoral care, or provide specialised support for children with additional learning needs. Whatever the reason, no family should be vilified for wanting the best education for their child.
Across Australia, I've sat in rooms with parents, teachers and school leaders who pour their hearts into their children's education. I've heard stories from mums working two jobs just to afford school fees because they believe in their choice.
I've spoken with school leaders in Melbourne who are trying desperately to avoid raising fees because of the Victorian government's new payroll tax.
And I've met a father who moved their child from public school because they found the school that was a perfect fit for their special needs child, who now sees his family described as "privileged" for making that choice.
Yet, time and again, these families are constantly portrayed by some critics as undeserving. They say Independent school families are "wealthy" or "elite," but they don't listen to the reality on the ground. Research by Insightfully showed 78 per cent of our parents would need to seriously adjust their household budgets if bad policy forced up fees by 15 per cent.
What do you say to Aboriginal and Torres Strait students at boarding schools in remote Australia, where there is no other choice?
To the parents who send their children to faith-based schools because it's about more than education - it's about community, values, and belonging?
To the families who have chosen a special assistance school because it's the only place their child will truly thrive?
These families aren't asking for anything more than fairness, yet they are constantly vilified in the national debate.
Right now, 157,000 students with disability and 19,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students are in independent schools. And these aren't just numbers on a spreadsheet. These are real children, with real needs, and real families making real sacrifices to ensure they get the education that works best for them.
On average, independent school students receive about $12,160 per year in government funding, compared to $22,510 for a public school student. The difference is even more stark in high-fee schools, which receive about $4500 per student. That's not unfair, it's more than a fair deal for taxpayers.
Meanwhile, independent school families contribute billions in school fees that cover teacher salaries, classrooms, buildings, and learning resources; funding that the government would otherwise have to provide.
In fact, families contribute 90 per cent of the capital funding for independent schools, while public schools receive full capital funding from government budgets. Critics conveniently also forget that our families are taxpayers too, and if every independent school student moved to a public school tomorrow, the system wouldn't cope.
But this isn't about funding formulas or political point-scoring. It's about real families making real sacrifices for their children's future.
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And no one should ever have to apologise for that. You never hear anyone attacking a family for spending millions to buy a house in a coveted public-school catchment, so why are our families fair game?
Education isn't a luxury, it's a necessity. Families deserve respect, not guilt, for making a choice that works for them. No parent should have to apologise for wanting the best for their child. No politician should punish families for making a different choice.
And no child should ever be caught in the middle of a political blame game.
That's why Independent Schools Australia is taking a stand.
Over the past month, we've been defending the right of families to choose the best education for their children without being vilified. School Choice Counts is a national campaign which is standing up for the 716,000 students in our schools, the 2.5 million voters connected to them, and the thousands of teachers and staff who work in our schools.
The cost-of-living crisis is already pushing families to the brink. The last thing parents need is bad policy that drives up school fees.
This election, school choice is on the ballot. The reaction to our campaign is showing us that parents are watching. And they won't forget who stood with them.
- Shaun Rigby is the director of public affairs and communications at Independent Schools Australia.
