Religious vs Non- Denominational schools for your child. How do you decide?

As the world’s most powerful investment, deciding on your child’s education is one of the biggest financial decisions you’ll ever be faced with making. So when it comes to your religious views, how do you decide how important a role this will play in their future education?

In Australia, almost all private schools have some religious affiliation. However most of these schools will also accept students who come from atheist backgrounds. But if you have your heart set on one school that is around the corner, and you have a different set of religious beliefs, it can be a difficult decision. The relationship between religion and education has been a controversial once since the mid-19th century, when the state introduced public schooling.

Non-denominational schools are not restricted to a religious domination. In opposition to religious schools where they will be highly exposed to the set religion. Often the decision will come down to your own schooling experience, and as we know, the cost.

So what are some of the key considerations that may help with this decision?

• Financial implications of paying higher school fees in a private, religious school.
• Location can be detrimental and ultimately outweigh your religious or non-religious views. Transport plays a large role every day in your schedule, in addition to weekend sporting events, so the desire for your child to have friends locally and have car pooling opportunities, may prove a winning factor.
• Size of the school in which your child’s education and family beliefs may be heard. Are you interested in smaller sized classes where your child will be heard more?