Parents undeterred by fees hike
DESPITE rising school fees for Jewish families, enrolment numbers are up at all but one Sydney Jewish day school.
DESPITE rising school fees for Jewish families, enrolment numbers are up at all but one Sydney Jewish day school.
Mount Sinai College reported that an extra 18 students are enrolled at the school for 2016, while Yeshiva College and Masada College have gained six and 20 students respectively.
Emanuel School revealed an increase of 30 students for the coming year, while Moriah College’s enrolment has decreased by 13 students.
Kesser Torah College did not provide their complete enrolment figures to The AJN by deadline.
Almost every Jewish day school in Sydney has raised fees for 2016.
Mount Sinai College has increased its fees by 5.7 per cent, the largest increase among Sydney Jewish day schools.
The school, however, remains one of the most affordable Jewish day schools, even when increased levies for security, camps, excursions and books are considered.
“We endeavour to make education at Mount Sinai College as affordable as possible for our community,” said Mount Sinai president Tim Greenstein.
Emanuel School will raise its fees by three-and-a-half per cent for 2016, an average annual increase of $512.85 and $720 for the primary and high school respectively. Administration, capital and security levies have also been increased.
Moriah College is raising its annual fees at each year level by 3.9 per cent.
It has added a new building and infrastructure levy to its annual fee structure to fund air conditioning in classrooms, and has raised its existing technology levy, to fund an in-house information and communications technology professional to support teachers.
Kesser Torah College will increase its fees by 3.85 per cent and its security and technology levies for all years except K-2.
Parents of Masada College students will now pay three per cent more annually, an average of $463.14 extra for junior school students and $722.50 for senior school students.
The school has also introduced an annual information technology levy of $240, in addition to its other security and capital improvement levies.
Yeshiva College has maintained the same base tuition fees from last year to the new school year.
Executive director of Yeshiva College Rabbi Dovid Slavin told The AJN, “At Yeshiva, we believe that financial pressures should never be a barrier to Jewish education.”
ELENORE LEVI
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