Nine in ten parents considering where to send their child of preschool age or younger would choose a non-government school, if cost were not a concern.
Research conducted on behalf of Catholic Schools NSW found that discipline and behaviour management is a priority for parents, with 45% of parents rating it as the most important factor in the school experience. Parents also highly value school facilities and environment (41%), and school communication and transparency (37%).
The three most important factors for parents considering education quality are: teaching quality and methods (46%); wellbeing and student support (38%); and student outcomes and academic performance (34%). Parents rated the importance of class size and teacher-student ratio as less important (28%) than non-parents (33%).
CEO of Catholic Schools NSW, Dallas McInerney, says the research reaffirms what schools hear from families about their reasons for choosing a Catholic school.
‘Behaviour has emerged as a major issue for parents. They value a respectful classroom environment where their children are safe and can learn. Parents understand that a structured environment promotes both wellbeing and academic success.’
‘Discipline and behaviour management create an environment conducive to learning, while high quality teaching and teaching methods ensure the most effective delivery of core curriculum knowledge.’
‘Catholic schools emphasise structure and evidence-based teaching methods, using them to get results for all our students; we know it is disadvantaged students who benefit the most. This is demonstrated in our success in engaging Indigenous students, who have 9% higher attendance rates at our schools and perform better in years 5 and 9 NAPLAN.’
‘Catholic Schools NSW wants all children to get the best start in life. That’s why we focus on raising the bar on education standards in Australia and why we have been increasing our intake of students from disadvantaged backgrounds.’
As behaviour issues continue to challenge schools and Australia, Catholic Schools NSW is bringing a focus to the issue with its 2025 Behaviour Symposium from 22-23 May, a premier event featuring Tom Bennett OBE, a leading expert in behaviour management, along with Dr Jacqueline Amos and other expert speakers.