[glasnost]

We just got our invoice for preschool fees for this term. $1900 DS is 4.5 and will go three days a week. It is not a fancy preschool (although it is very good I might add) in suburban Sydney. We will find the money from somewhere as we believe that it is worth it however I can't help wondering how many families are priced out and their kids will either miss out on preschool or be send to FYOS before they ready.

What does everyone think- should we have to pay for or contribute to preschool/kindy fees or do you think that there should be universal access to good quality early childhood education?

[Rachel70]

This is for a private preschool????

[lucy-lu]

Are you in NSW?
I was thinking this today also, ds only goes 2 days, it doesn't cost anywhere near as much as yours but still $$ in my opinion......

Deer just re read...you are in sydney, dam chemicals from cleaning have gone to my head!


This post has been edited by lucy-lu: 06/02/2013, 09:58 AM

[~Elphaba~]

I have never felt so lucky to live in the ACT. You guys have to PAY for preschool in NSW???? But primary and high school is free in NSW isn't it?. How do they justify it?

[clm1982]

Ouch that is expensive. We only pay less than $100 a term here in SA?

[Aimless]

Yikes! And I was griping about mine. 4yo DS1 goes to pre-school 3 days a week and the invoice for this term is $790 - $47 per day. I worked out that I'm paying appox $5000 a year - which is more than the fees in private schools within my area!

[MakeLoveNotBacon]

Yeah that's a bit crazy. Pretty sure pre-school is free in WA? (public schooling)

ds attends Montessori 3-6 yr old which isn't free, because it's private. It starts with five half days, moving to five full days at 4 yrs old. It's $1600/term. So those fees seem a bit rich for just three days.

[Jane Jetson]

We have 15 hours free preschool in the ACT. I think it's a good move (though I have issues with the way it's organised... who can arrange child care for every *second* Wednesday without paying for a lot of unused days?) to bring preschool under the public education umbrella for several reasons, mostly to do with access for less advantaged children, and better pay for the teachers.

I'm not sure how it works in other states - are preschool fees subject to CCB/CCR or reduced fees related to income? If not, I think that's a problem, because it would certainly price lower-income families out of preschool.

[Heather11]

Just makes me glad to live in SA.

$50 a term here.

That is more than what I pay for 2 kids at a Catholic school for the year.

[glasnost]

I works out $57 a day. I think this term is a little longer thsn 10 weeks. They went back a couple of weeks ago, a bit earlier than schools for some reason.

It isn't a daycare centre, just a regular KU kindergarten/ preschool.


ETA I want to move to the ACT or SA.

This post has been edited by glasnost: 06/02/2013, 10:10 AM