Private School Vs Buying Property/Investing for Kid

Jaduqimon on 06/10/2025 - 19:10
Last edited 06/10/2025 - 19:33 by 1 other user

As my daughter is approaching high school age, I am in the position to either send her to an elite private school which will costs about $50 - $60k p.a. all up. Or send her to local government high school which is mediocre in my area like ranked 150ish on the SMH HSC rankings and purchase a property or invest the money instead of paying the private school fees.

My thinking is if I send my daughter to private school, then chances are she will get a better education/being better all rounder and PERHAPS… do better in life and financially for herself later.

On the other hand from an economic perspective, I can't help but lean towards the government school + investing route as i have high doubts that the additional education or expected value if you will of the private school education will outweigh the investment returns of putting 50-60k away for her in investments., I.e. buying a property now while it's still "cheap" lol.

What are people's thoughts and opinions on this?

Should I give my daughter the best chance at education and empower her or just invest the money and give to her later?

Financial

Comments

  • JimmyF on 06/10/2025 - 19:24
    +19

    Should I give my daughter the best chance at education and empower her or just invest the money and give to her later?

    Or maybe go 50/50 and put her into a cheaper private school and still invest?

    A 3rd option is move into a better high school catchment area. We had been lucky to be in a decent catchment area, the high school is pretty decent. So saved us moving or going the private route.

    My thinking is if I send my daughter to private school, then chances are she will get a better education/being better all rounder and PERHAPS… do better in life and financially for herself later.

    Yes/no/maybe. A lot will come down to the child on what sort of driver they have. Private schools can be good for contacts etc, but I've also known many people to end up no better off after their parents have dropped $300k+ on schooling to what they would have had if they went public.

    • wils2k on 07/10/2025 - 11:57

      "A 3rd option is move into a better high school catchment area"
      May I know which area? I'm assuming it's East side in Melbourne

      • JimmyF on 07/10/2025 - 20:10
        -1

        May I know which area?

        Look at the schools NAPLAN results or the endless websites out there that rank the school. Pick one that is good.

        I'm assuming it's East side in Melbourne

        Why is that?

        • wils2k on 07/10/2025 - 22:42

          I know someone who works in education sector. And there's no good public high school in West side of Melbourne that rank in top 20 AFAIK.
          Pls correct me if I'm wrong. Thanks

          • beltdrive on 08/10/2025 - 09:37
            -1

            @wils2k: there's a lot of schools in Victoria. surely a school in the top, say, 100 would be very good

          • Dejy on 08/10/2025 - 20:18

            @wils2k: Suzanne Cory High School in Werribee is ranked top 4 in Melbourne. Essendon Grammer and I think some Strathmore one in the West also rank highly but the vast majority are in the inner East.

            • p1 ama on 08/10/2025 - 21:34
              +1

              @Dejy:

              Suzanne Cory High School in Werribee is ranked top 4 in Melbourne

              Selective school

    • moar bargains on 07/10/2025 - 13:57
      +10

      come down to the child on what sort of driver they have

      Can you update a child's driver in Windows update like normal? Or is there a different process required?

      • DangerNoodle on 08/10/2025 - 07:31
        +2

        Just gotta figure out which driver is stable so there won't be a crash.

        • MeateaW on 08/10/2025 - 09:32
          +2

          It's the hardware compatibility that really gets you. Some hardware configs out there just don't work for no obvious reason, regardless of the driver.

          If only there was a comprehensive QVL list

    • dufflover on 08/10/2025 - 22:51

      If the public school is that highly regarded the property price increase will usually be more than the high school fees combined.
      So unless it's like multiple kids or you really really like moving to the area too.

      Literally across the road from my current place the prices are a couple hundred thousand more (at least) and every single sales billboard mentions the school zone.

  • Aidan9800 on 06/10/2025 - 19:25
    +57

    Most academic and career outcomes depend on family support and the child’s own drive, not simply school prestige. With that in mind, opting for the latter is likely the better choice.

    • bargaino on 06/10/2025 - 19:36
      +8

      also, you forgot the genetic lottery. Whether she got your smarter genes in the mitosis. That is the dominant factor over parenting or schooling, excluding extreme bad cases.

      • idonteven on 08/10/2025 - 17:20
        +1

        It's meiosis btw.

        • bargaino on 08/10/2025 - 23:34

          Oops. What fool made the two names so similar? :-)

      • Aidan9800 on 06/10/2025 - 22:45
        +14

        While those resources sound appealing, studies consistently show that beyond a certain baseline, school facilities and “better” peers have minimal impact on long‑term success compared to parental involvement, the home environment, and personal motivation.

        Many public school students with fewer resources still outperform private school peers, and the supposed networking advantage often matters only in niche circles.

        • jv on 06/10/2025 - 22:52
          -8

          How many prime ministers graduated from public and non-selective high schools?
          How many CEO's ???

          • jjjaar on 06/10/2025 - 23:02
            +5

            @jv: Well Australia’s only woman prime minister went to public school, so sounds like OP should save some cash and avoid private.

            • jv on 06/10/2025 - 23:33
              -5

              @jjjaar:

              Well Australia’s only woman prime minister went to public school

              So 1 out of 31 then? 3.2%

              That sounds about right…

              • InfiniteWee on 07/10/2025 - 09:32
                +18

                @jv: 100% of female prime ministers went to public schools. See, I can spin statistics to drive a narrative too!
                I don't think it's realistic to point to prime ministers and CEOs as an example of the common man's approach to success. Statistically significant portion of those PMs & CEOs were also born into far more favourable conditions than OP, and frankly anyone on a forum like this.

              • klaw81 on 07/10/2025 - 09:32
                +5

                @jv: Politics is an outlier - success in politics is far more about networking and social circles than any form of educational ability or achievement. Mind you, it only works for a small collection of elite private schools in the inner cities.

                You could easily argue that's often the case for CEOs too. It's not the educational excellence that got them there, but the fact that they were already children of the wealthy elite and were parachuted into leadership positions with little regard for intellect or ability, as a favour to the old boys club. If you're not already operating in those social circles, a private schooling is unlikely to gain you entry.

                There are vast numbers of high-achieving individuals in Australia who went to public schools. I went to public high school in the back of nowhere but had a Rhodes scholar graduate 2 years ahead of me - the school has an excellent reputation for academic achievement despite the lack of flashy facilities.

                From my own observations, attending a private school has mostly affected those people in their taste for the more expensive illicit drugs. Public school kids can usually only afford weed.

                • jv on 07/10/2025 - 17:56
                  -1

                  @klaw81:

                  success in politics is far more about networking and social circles

                  and how do you think most of that happens?

                  • klaw81 on 08/10/2025 - 09:18
                    +1

                    @jv: I said politics was an outlier.

                    Most careers are not like that - they are based far more heavily on merit and achievement.

                    • jv on 08/10/2025 - 09:22
                      -2

                      @klaw81:

                      they are based far more heavily on merit and achievement.

                      True, so a well rounded and better education should help you in the long run, compared to just having a deposit for a house instead.

              • ndenham on 07/10/2025 - 12:04
                +5

                @jv: So you're saying that only 0.000001% of private school attendees became CEOs or prime-ministers? They are mostly failures.

                Maybe that's not a great metric for success given it's tiny sample size.

                • jv on 07/10/2025 - 17:57
                  -4

                  @ndenham:

                  They are mostly failures.

                  The failures for public schools would be 100's of time less though…

                  • Crow K on 08/10/2025 - 01:08
                    +1

                    @jv:

                    The failures for public schools would be 100's of time less though…

                    Maybe you should spend some more time trying out our education system before you start commenting on it

                    • ferry594 on 08/10/2025 - 08:37
                      +3

                      @Crow K: Bro's just trying to justify to himself why he spent a fortune on private school for his kids

                      • Crow K on 08/10/2025 - 08:47
                        +2

                        @ferry594: Maybe. Fairly certain JV is a she not a he and she picks her arguments along the lines of "being wrong makes comment post number go up".

              • serpserpserp on 07/10/2025 - 17:28
                +1

                @jv: Well about 20 of them happened when women weren't even allowed to vote lol

            • Muppet Detector on 09/10/2025 - 02:00
              -1

              @jjjaar: Whilst I have immense respect and admiration for what Ms Gillard was able to achieve, you really want to hang your hat on her?

              She was probably a much better lawyer than she was a Prime Minister, eh? Are you familiar with what she has done since then as well?

              High Court Justice Bell attended public school, and she managed to hold onto her job for longer than three years and she wasn't replaced by Rudd.

              High Court Justice Keifel also attended public school, and she went to Sandgate High! (Iykyk) and she became the first female Cheif justice as well!

              There's the money shot. Anybody who can recover so well from the disadvantage of a Sandgate High education ought to be canonised (or have a very big statue erected in their honour).

              • Clickbait on 09/10/2025 - 16:42

                @Muppet Detector: Completely agree except Juliar was frog marched out of Slater and gordon over some irregularities with AWU and property improveents. I think that is still hanging around
                I believe at least one other and
                3AW's breakfast announcer may be able to assist

          • Goremans on 07/10/2025 - 22:56

            @jv: I would hate for my child to become Prime Minister or a CEO. Can't think of anything worse. They'll learn to move through the corp ladder, and in turn, life, by being ruthless and excessively competitive.

            Besides ai will shake employment up so hard over the next 10-15 yrs that it makes most of these questions irrelevant.

            I used ai everyday, my boss encourages us to use it. And once autonomous agents are fleshed out, 5-10 yrs, theycan fire me and I can fill my tin can up through the government protein slop hole in the local town centre, kick back on my UBi and take magic mushrooms all day. What a future for a children 👏 🙌

            (I gotta go to sleep…)

            • Muppet Detector on 08/10/2025 - 22:26
              -1

              @Goremans:

              I would hate for my child to become Prime Minister or a CEO. Can't think of anything worse.

              But here's the thing, it doesn't matter what you want, does it?

              Surely the career choice is up to the child in most circumstances?

              I didn't care what they wanted to be (well, I would prefer that it was legal),as long as when it came time for them to decide, they got the opportunity to choose whatever they wanted and not have to settle for something different because they didn't qualify.

          • Muppet Detector on 08/10/2025 - 22:18
            -1

            @jv: I don't know those, but there has been 1 high court judge from public in the last 50 odd years (Bell).

            As for school selection, they usually have to be there for 12 years up to five days a week.

            My aim was for a school where I thought they may enjoy as much of that time as they could.

            There is far more to a great education than your overt curriculum results.

            It's the covert curriculum that really determines a child's future.

            Whether it's free or $1million pa, I want my kid to be happy whilst they're there.

            No point buying your kid a house (or paying $x) if they're so miserable at school that they don't reach adulthood.

            They're asking the wrong question in this thread.

            Just because a school ranks number one, doesn't mean it will be the best fit and the best outcome for each child and their family's intrapersonal variables.

            The same school may not even be suitable for all children in the same family, though most people tend to settle on a one size fits all approach.

            The best school for child x may be the worst public school, the best/most expensive private school, or somewhere in between.

            I checked out 26 schools for the Muppet kinder, and whilst they all did end up in moderately priced private schools, only three of them attended the same school. They were actually spread between three schools (five if you count a couple of false starts in the early days and six for the Segway into public for 3 years).

            One did attend public for grades 8-10 because they were operating a full time French immersion program and he wanted to do it.

            The kid who went to "the best school", whilst she did do quite well, her siblings all out performed her academically.

            And when it came time for her career choice, so far, she could have pursued that without even completing grade 12 in any school.

        • Muppet Detector on 09/10/2025 - 01:38
          -1

          I do agree to an extent with what you've said there, but a lot of people here seem to be so focused on the long term outcome but forgetting about the journey in the here and now.

          These kids are in school for a long time. I was quite interested in them enjoying their journey ans much as possible and providing exposure to as many opportunities as I could along the way as well.

          There is far more to a great education than the grade you achieve at the end whether it be achieved through a public or private education (or combination where relevant).

          Schools perform three functions in Australia

          1. The sorting hat of society
          2. Socialisation of the future community
          3. Development of the kind of work force we anticipate we will need as the relevant cohort graduates.

          (Oh, and apparently childcare these days too…)

          The rest is just a happy bonus.

      • imurgod on 09/10/2025 - 13:38
        +1

        Agree.

        I see in in my kids, kids of my family and friends and in business.

        If your kid is naturally academic or sporty, private school is great as it offers things that public schools don't.

        Private schools also have their academic reputation to maintain so they ensure kids work hard and are disciplined in their lives, and are tasked to do things for their community as well, which helps to grow as a well rounded human being.

        Lastly, there's the network of successful friends who wind up doing business with each other.

    • gromit on 07/10/2025 - 12:52
      +1

      like it or not school prestige plays a big part of success for many people (note I went to public school myself). I work with a lot of people that have their positions and wealth precisely because of who they knew and grew up with. while privilege alone doesn't guarantee success it can open a lot of extra doors and opportunities.

    • fredblogs on 07/10/2025 - 15:32
      +1

      Top school rankings are private and selective: https://bettereducation.com.au/Results/VCE_ATAR.aspx?yr=2024

      That doesn't necessarily contradict what you've stated but it'd mean "family support and the child’s own drive" is strongly correlated to going to a private or selective school.

    • Randxyz123 on 07/10/2025 - 16:42
      +1

      I agree with this. Also just because someone goes to an elite private school doesn't automatically mean they'll do better.

    • DangerNoodle on 08/10/2025 - 07:35

      Agreed. The property market is scary and does have a lot of people concerned about rising rents and mortgage repayments. If you can purchase a property now and the repayments are viable, then it may go a long way towards your child's and your family's long term success.

  • ferry594 on 06/10/2025 - 19:27
    +22

    If she's smart enough to go to a selective public school, definitely take that route. Selective schools will trump any outcome you'll achieve (on average) versus private or normal public.

    In terms of bang for buck, you'll almost certainly be better off sending her to a public school with lots of money going towards tutoring and the remainder going to a property, that said I can see that being potentially difficult given tutoring is outside school hours and a kid is going to be pretty reluctant to work in that environment. I guess this approach only works if your definition of "success" is a good ATAR for uni.

    I'd suggest a "happy medium" would maybe be something like a 10-20k per year catholic school (or something like that, if you aren't catholic). It's enough to keep a lot of the crap that appears in public schools out of your child's life but then also be more affordable.

    I'm probably in the minority here but I genuinely do not see the value in a private school, given some of the biggest drop kicks I've ever met have been private school educated. Everyone I know who've spent small fortunes sending kids through private schools have deeply regretted the decision when having a similar discussion. In isolation they would go the private school route every time, but in a world where you could buy stocks or a house instead, I've always heard investing would be the preferred option. Ironically enough, these same people were also public school educated.

    • jv on 06/10/2025 - 22:33
      +11

      Selective schools will trump any outcome you'll achieve (on average) versus private or normal public.

      Not really…

      The reason they do better is because they select the students that perform better… They don't necessarily teach better or have facilities or par with private schools.

      • scotty on 07/10/2025 - 10:02
        +10

        Might not be comparable to a private high school, but looking at selective high schools in Sydney they definite do look like having better facilities than comprehensive high school. I also have a few high school teacher friends that taught at private, catholic, selective and comprehensive high schools. Selective high school ones can teach better because they do not have to spend 50% of the time dealing with rowdy kids.

        • AlbiesDad on 07/10/2025 - 13:28
          +3

          Half agree, half disagree, as an NSBHS graduate. We did not pay any attention in class - we were all smarter than our teachers. The main benefit was no rowdy kids, everyone was there to do well, and we would hold each other accountable and hold study groups to push each other to do well. Nothing to do with the quality of teaching. We would learn everything from tutoring.

        • edisonAU on 07/10/2025 - 14:35

          My son goes to Baulkham Hills HS (selective), and the school is quite run down. Building and facilities are still like in the 70s (I was shocked when I first saw it). Our local high school has far better facilities. So selective HS does not mean better facilities.

        • skittlebrau on 07/10/2025 - 19:19
          +5

          It's worth mentioning that selective schools can have a certain competitive culture around them that can be rather intense and high pressure. There's pros/cons to it, but not all bright kids will thrive in that sort of environment. I've met a few families who've taken their kids out of selective school for that reason, despite their kid performing well academically.

          • bargaino on 07/10/2025 - 22:41

            @skittlebrau: Maybe in Sydney. But my son is at a selective school, and he and his mates are lazy as anything. So I'm not sure about competitive.
            But yes, the great thing about selective schools is no disruptive kids. No Jonahs.
            In contrast, my friend's son is at a private school, in the academic extension class, and it is super competitive to stay in there. Whereas in a selective school, or even the GATE class in a public school, the kids have tenure.

            They may not be overly competitive, but at least they all want to be there.

        • Muppet Detector on 08/10/2025 - 23:05

          Selective high school ones can teach better because they do not have to spend 50% of the time dealing with rowdy kids.

          How well will a child perform anywhere if they don't want to be there?

          Some kids may not enjoy some aspects of these advanced/accelerated type programs.

          One consideration is these types of environments tend to be quite stressful for some kids. They come with a lot of pressure to perform as expected.

          A major problem for many kids who attend these types of programs (public or private), is that usually they have come from a school comprised of children with many different performance outcomes meaning the selected child is usually one of the top performers in their old school.

          Now, come grade 8, all of a sudden they're in a class where every child is exceptional and there's a lot of jostling between kids as they establish their new pecking orders.

          Many kids really struggle with moving from an environment where they were quite extraordinary to one where they now just seem ordinary or average.

      • Muppet Detector on 08/10/2025 - 22:53
        -1

        They don't necessarily teach better or have facilities or par with private schools.

        And the kid has to want to do the work under that pressure in that environment.

        One of the Muppet kinder qualified for a placement in a school that provided a full time gifted and talented program for qualifying students. (Well four did, but this is about just one).

        After five weeks, she resigned. After relevant inquiry, her reason was "I just don't want to work that hard".

        So, she was returned to mainstream education and absolutely loved school.

        If the child doesn't want to do something, it's a pretty precarious path to go down if you need to force them to do it iykwim.

        Sure, there are minimum expectations, but if the kid is miserable, can you imagine how challenging that would be to get them to turn up somewhat regularly and engage, particularly to school?

        What's that saying? You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink?

        • jv on 09/10/2025 - 00:38

          And the kid has to want to do the work under that pressure in that environment.

          My experience is that the kids want to work hard, they enjoy their learning and want to get good results… Not all of them, but many of them and that encourages others… Sure, it may not suit some kids… Then there are other private schools like Preshil who market themselves as being different and they certainly are and some kids would thrive in the lack of structure there and do really well…

          The other good thing I found about private schools is that sport and being part of a sporting team is mandatory. Many of the kids would not do sport if it wasn't mandatory…. So they learn to play in teams, learn that practising makes you better (not just in education, but in other aspects of life too). They learn that losing is OK and work out what they need to do to improve… another life lesson… Many public school kids (that aren't into sport) miss out on this…

          • Muppet Detector on 09/10/2025 - 00:50
            -2

            @jv:

            The other good thing I found about private schools is that sport and being part of a sporting team is mandatory.

            At one of our schools, in an attempt to equalise the nerds and the jocks, EVERY kid had to be engaged in a sport/physical activity commensurate with their interests and abilities and be engaged in some aspect of the music program as well.

            Our Captain of the football team also had roles in school musicals for example.

            Many public school kids (that aren't into sport) miss out on this…

            Completely agree with your reasoning. Some other stuff that I thought was quite valuable too.

            As I mentioned elsewhere, it's really about the hidden curriculum the private school kids often get exposed to.

            • jv on 09/10/2025 - 00:54

              @Muppet Detector: Yes, our school had music mandatory in year 7. Many of the kids had never played an instrument before, and some of them kept going after year 7.

              My kids learnt instruments from their local public schools and continued into private secondary schools. The both were part of multiple bands and had tutorials through to year 10, after which it was their decision to stop because they wanted to focus more on the academic side and they still had mandatory sport training and matches on weekends…
              At least they now they know a few instruments, can play them well, have an appreciatiation of classical music and my opinion is that by learning at a young age, it has improved their academic side too.

              • Muppet Detector on 09/10/2025 - 01:03

                @jv: I made all my kids learn piano to AMEB grade 8 - usually started at 5 or 6 years old.

                Violin was compulsory through school from G 3

                Could switch to band instruments at grade 5 or 6 if you wanted, but you had to continue with st least one instrument throughout school.

                Between us all, we've covered quite a few instruments over the years to varying degrees.

                School also had a bunch of choirs and other voice type activities they were required to be engaged in. Even if it was for singing in a choir at an old folks home as part of community service requirement.

                Oh yeah, we had compulsory age appropriate community service from pre school to g12.

  • bargaino on 06/10/2025 - 19:30
    +7

    Is it an option to put that money into moving to the catchment area for a better school?

    150ish on the SMH hsc rankings - out of how many?
    You really need to look at the school, and how she will fit it. The difference between average and top is minor, compared to the difference between average and Mount Druitt. You want a school she will enjoy.

    From a hard cold calculation, there are countless better investments than a $50k private school. They have poor return on investment, and should be considered a consumption good. However, do save a portion of that money for private tutoring, especially if she does ATAR.

    Cheaper private school (e.g. Catholic) only makes sense if your local public options are crap, IMHO.

    • tenpercent on 06/10/2025 - 21:54
      +2

      out of how many?

      511 as of 2023, maybe a handful more by now. So it's in the top third of NSW secondary schools.

  • boomramada on 06/10/2025 - 19:31
    +5

    Instead of asking ozb, do some research, compare schools around you, ask parents who send their kids to those participant schools. Its your money, your kids.

  • Jaduqimon on 06/10/2025 - 19:42
    +4

    Thanks everyone, good points, does seem like the middle ground is cheaper private school + investing the change.

    Not expecting her to be top student or anything just no bs that comes from public schools. Iwent to a public school and yeh i dont want that for my daughter.

    Value wise its almost impossible for her to out perform the investment route lol…

    hope she makes selective school… then it will make my choice easier.

    • JimmyF on 06/10/2025 - 21:56
      +13

      just no bs that comes from public schools. Iwent to a public school and yeh i dont want that for my daughter.

      All schools have the BS, I would say private ones have even more BS as most kids come from money and are spoiled.

      • Jaduqimon on 06/10/2025 - 22:17
        -5

        lol yeh i guess. question is you want to be a drug buyer or a drug dealer? lol

        • JimmyF on 06/10/2025 - 22:47
          +12

          At either school, you can be either, the dealer or the buyer.

          Don't kid yourself that private school kids are any better behaved or don't have the same school yard crap. Its the same crap, just played out at different social levels. Private kids are often worse as they are spoiled coming from money. So if your kids can't keep up, they are singled out.

          Remember it was the private school that had the unrapeable list a few years ago…. I guess it was only a $30-40k a year school :/

          https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-05-06/sexist-offensive-stud…

          • Muppet Detector on 08/10/2025 - 23:23
            -2

            @JimmyF:

            Private kids are often worse as they are spoiled coming from money. So if your kids can't keep up, they are singled out.

            Some things that I like about private school are:

            1. In general, a private school has greater access to effective discipline measures than what a public school does, so when they do find a really feral miscreant, they can generally access more effective management strategies to improve the learning environment for the other kids.

            2. As a parent, there are more opportunities to be involved in your kid's education and have more input and flexibility for a more individualised education best suited to your child than in public school if you want to.

        • quick-dry on 07/10/2025 - 09:18
          +6

          mre likely the real difference is whether your dealer pulls the baggie out of a duffle bag nicked from Rebel or one bought at regular price from Country Road.

        • MessyG on 07/10/2025 - 13:28
          +1

          I think it really depends on the cohort of the neighborhood. If you're in a suburb full of private schools, then sending your kid to the local public is a really good idea because the cohort is going to full of parents like yourselves. But if you're zoned to the local dumpster fire of a high school, then yeah, cheaper private school.

          • JimmyF on 09/10/2025 - 09:15

            @MessyG:

            But if you're zoned to the local dumpster fire of a high school, then yeah, cheaper private school.

            Pretty much the common theme. If you have a good public school, send the kids to that, otherwise a cheap private school that keeps the feral kids out.

            I think it really depends on the cohort of the neighborhood

            Funny about that isn't it. It is kinda like those stereotypes might be true after all.

    • beltdrive on 08/10/2025 - 09:45

      hope she makes selective school

      she would absolutely need to be a top student in this case. there are kids being tutored specifically to get into a selective school. the competition is gonna be tough

    • sauce2k on 08/10/2025 - 10:26

      What bs from Public Schools are you referring to? Genuine question as my parents put me through private (I'm thankful), I've seen some bs but curious what exactly you are referring to.

    • ReaperX22 on 08/10/2025 - 13:58
      +1

      Yeah… I dunno about this take.. My wife went to a private school (catholic) and whilst there's a lot of niceties, there's a LOT of restrictions and rules that… are sometimes archaic - I'd definitely consider your beliefs/take that into account as well. A lot of private schools happen to be catholic schools, and genuinely can have some teachers that will shun you/shame you for having critical thinking.

      That said I went to a public school, and there was a lot of 'meh' things about that too.

      Ultimately, the teachers make the school, you can have good/bad teachers at both. There are a couple of teachers I'll never forget that helped me/supported me in ways other teachers just didn't give a flying about.

  • ihbh on 06/10/2025 - 19:46
    +1

    What if you buy a property say for $1m and the price goes down/sideways for 30 years?

    • Jaduqimon on 06/10/2025 - 19:54
      +8

      Yes that is also a risk but at least she will have a place to live i guess

      • jv on 06/10/2025 - 22:34
        +1

        "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime".

        • EBC on 07/10/2025 - 16:05

          Buy a man a property and he will have a place to live; teach a man to… have a property (?) and he will wish he had a property to use that knowledge on.

          • jv on 08/10/2025 - 15:43

            @EBC: If you "buy a man property" they will never learn how to buy one themselves and could easily lose it…

        • Manny Calavera on 08/10/2025 - 15:40
          +2

          "Give a man fire and he will be warm for a day. Set a man on fire and he will be warm for the rest of his life."

          • jv on 08/10/2025 - 15:44

            @Manny Calavera: The analogy would be to "teach" a man to start a fire.

        • cashless on 10/10/2025 - 00:01

          Teach a man to post sensibly on OzBargain and he’ll be a valued member of the community.
          Give him the option of posting shite & he’ll do so daily for the rest of his life

      • V2L on 07/10/2025 - 16:22
        +2

        when you don't have to worry about housing you get a lot more freedom to pursue what makes you happy, taking entrepreneurial risks and less financial stresses means happier relationships and potentially having kids when they want to

    • JIMB0 on 06/10/2025 - 21:07
      -3

      Dream on. You're in the wrong thread btw.

      This weeks housing thread can be found here. https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/926447

  • JimmyNeutron on 06/10/2025 - 19:59
    +5

    Going to a top private school is more than just about the education. At the highest levels of leadership whether it be in private or public industry, there is an overrepresentation of those from elite private schools. There is a bias (rightly or wrongly) to those who have come from these schools. It is what it is, these schools provide more opportunity & the connections (depending on how much your children & your family choose to integrate & mingle with other students & families) can be highly beneficial.

    I went to a top PUBLIC selective school and I see the above play out in the corporate world.

    • Jaduqimon on 06/10/2025 - 20:14
      +4

      Yeh i get that but like for eg if she goes to gov school, does okish and say ends up in a 100k job vs private school she might get a 150k job, thats still a long time to pay back the 400k tuition fee and then earn the lost investment appreciation from like 10 years

      • JimmyNeutron on 06/10/2025 - 20:46
        +3

        Also the friend groups matter a lot, especially compared to an average public school. The level of influence your peers have on you can't be overstated, even for us adults, but especially for our children. Their thoughts, habits, conversations etc.

        Families who tend to send their children to these elite schools tend to come from business / corporate / medical backgrounds. If your child is influenced to become that way inclined and of course they work their butts off, the difference in income could be very substantial. I'd argue that yes you are definitely putting your child at an advantage by going to a top tier private school and it should be the case given the substantial cost of them.

        • Jaduqimon on 06/10/2025 - 20:51
          -1

          Yep one of the main concerns i have going to gov is the people she will be mixing with. Hanging around the wrong gang can be far more detrimental.

          • Muppet Detector on 09/10/2025 - 02:53
            +2

            @Jaduqimon:

            Hanging around the wrong gang can be far more detrimental.

            Private isn't going to protect you from this. Plenty of feral degenerates can be found in Private and more often than not, it's the kids that yours engages with through EC's outside of school that are probably more of a threat.

            If anything, the stereotypical "white boy privilege" associated with Private education, probably helps best by keeping the really feral ones out of the criminal justice system for a bit longer than their public counterparts. (Hopefully for long enough until they get their act together and sort themselves out if it happens to be your kid).

            This will largely fall back on your vigilance as parents, the schools's willingness to work with and support your desired outcomes and input and support from the community goes a long way too.

            Your best line of defence here is for you to be quite active within the school and the school community so that everybody knows who you are and which kid is associated with you

            Even if it's through participation in the P&F and their associated activities. IDK, schools love volunteers (so get that blue card sorted).

            This way, you end up with an entire community helping you to keep an eye on your kid, because they know you and by extension are invested in your kid both at school and if they spot them up to mischief outside of school.

            Trust me, if another parent even thinks your kid might be doing something dodgy, they'll be keen as beans to let you know about it.

            and as far as the school staff go, they know who you are so you're not just some anonymous number that they can't associate with any kid in particular.

            Schools love that stuff, and they get super happy if the kid is really engaged with positive school activities too. This really does help you and the child have a better chance to receive outcomes or opportunities that may not otherwise be as readily available iykwim.

            Get those ducks in a row and you really do have the whole village helping you to guide your child through the school journey and into adulthood.

      • jv on 06/10/2025 - 22:37

        ends up in a 100k job vs private school she might get a 150k job

        which job is likely to make her happier in life and have more opportunities for promotion?

    • nibblesh on 07/10/2025 - 09:48
      -1

      To add to this, the real barrier / bias coming from the above observation largely comes from minute behaviours / mannerisms. Things like tone, behaviour, accent, all play a very big factor into whether you get a good first impression or not.

      The people currently in charge can tell the difference between what they've heard/observed since their schooling days all the way through, and if you manage to sound/act the same as their preferred group, they will inherently like you more.

      So the main value of private schools is adjusting to these minute behaviours, picking up the accent etc, you also have the chance to meet the next suite of the countries' leaders. If you go to a mid level private school, probably not worth it. If you go to one of the best ones, or any in one of the best suburbs, your kid will likely go to school with the next CEO of Woolworths.

      • MessyG on 07/10/2025 - 13:36
        +5

        What you're actually saying here is that to be accepted in certain spaces, you have to change the way you think, and speak and behave and basically copy others until your own personhood is erased, so you can belong. And then once you reach those spaces, you must behave in that way, for the rest of your life. It's called masking. If people like you more because you've changed yourself to be like them, they don't like you, they like the mask. It's one of the big drivers behind loneliness.

        Much better to focus on what you enjoy doing and become a specialist in that field. Obviously be good to work with but pretending your way to the top just to be there for the sake of it sounds like a horrible existence.

        • Muppet Detector on 09/10/2025 - 03:23
          +1

          What you're actually saying here is that to be accepted in certain spaces, you have to change the way you think, and speak and behave and basically copy others until your own personhood is erased, so you can belong

          Not at all.

          They're showing you (the developing child), an alternative way to think and behave that you may not otherwise know about, just in case you do find value in those variables and do find yourself wanting to be able to engage in those spaces sometime in the future.

          That's what being a kid is about. Working out the kind of person you want to be and what sort of "space" you want to engage with.

          Kids are learning like sponges from their environment from the moment they are born (the non verbal part of the IQ).

          Socialisation is one of the key functions of accessing an education which in turn acts as a sorting hat for society.

          How can anybody make an informed decision if they didn't even know there was an alternative to what their current capital exposes to them?

          If you never try chocolate milk, how do you know if you like it or how to go about getting a glass if nobody has shown you how to do that?

          You don't have to drink the chocolate milk just because you know it's there, but you have more choices and opportunities knowing it exists and how to get it if that's what you decide that you may like when it's time to make those decisions.

          Much better to focus on what you enjoy doing and become a specialist in that field.

          And how does a kid know if they'll enjoy something that they either didn't know existed or how to access it if they decide they'd like to?

          Do you think Michael Klim would have become a champion swimmer if nobody ever gave him swimming lessons?

    • V2L on 07/10/2025 - 12:26
      +3

      depends on the industry. law/corporate yes, others like health, tech not so much

      • CrispyChrispy on 07/10/2025 - 14:32

        What do you mean?

        • V2L on 07/10/2025 - 15:47
          +3

          In healthcare for example no one cares or really knows what high school you went to, or uni even. there are elements of nepotism like anything else but the criterias for getting a job are much more structured and objective - the connections you make after secondary school matters much more and they are much more merit based where as corporate/law/senior management and c-suite etc are much more connections and network influenced where your 'old boys (gender specific term fully intended) network' may hold more value.

    • MessyG on 07/10/2025 - 13:33
      +12

      But…is that what SHE wants? To be at the highest level of leadership? To what end? What happens when you climb to the top? The neverending social contract of compromising your values to stay at the top…

      Meanwhile I went to to a private school, all of my cousins went to private schools whose legacy haunts the echelons of leadership and none of us are interested in those spaces because we know what they're like. Sure we all know people who know people and I guess we have good contacts but none of us actually use them. We all ran a mile. Success for most doesn't lie in being the best or the top or the richest, its in having healthy relationships and doing what you enjoy doing and financial security. Guide her toward that and she'll be fine.

      • klaw81 on 07/10/2025 - 13:50
        +2

        Well said - an excellent perspective worth considering.

      • Muppet Detector on 08/10/2025 - 23:54

        But…is that what SHE wants? To be at the highest level of leadership?

        WHO knows? But wouldn't it be better to achieve whatever it is she decides when she gets there rather than get to where she needs to decide and then have to settle for something else because she lacked the ability/qualifications?

        I'd rather my kid be able to be an "astronaut" (or whatever) and choose to be a sewer inspector than to want to be an "astronaut", but only be qualified to be a sewer inspector and spend the next 50 years of their life being miserable for 38 hours a week.

        What happens when you climb to the top?

        If that's the pathway she chooses to pursue, then that will be up to her to discover when she gets there, eh?

        Success for most doesn't lie in being the best or the top or the richest, its in having healthy relationships and doing what you enjoy doing and financial security. Guide her toward that and she'll be fine.

        All of that can exist together, even if "she" decides to be the "astronaut".

        IMO, Just because it's not something that interests yourself, doesn't mean you should set limitations on somebody else.

        What if that is what success looks like to her though?

        Their lives will be extraordinary if given the opportunity to follow their dreams, not be limited or restricted by dreams that belong to somebody else.

        Imagine if Michael Klim's parents (or relevant high performer), insisted that he only aim to be ordinary and denied him the opportunity to pursue what he really wanted to do.

  • thatonethere on 06/10/2025 - 20:03

    Sadly it is all a gamble. Goes to private school, you pay a fortune, she does well or gets bullied and all for nothing. Goes to public, save money, learns nothing as you can get away with it, all for nothing. Good luck!

    • jv on 06/10/2025 - 22:38

      Sadly it is all a gamble.

      Some things are more probable than others…

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