New Research Shows Academic Attainment In Private Schools Bucking The National Trend

Independent Schools of New Zealand (ISNZ) has released the results of its 2022 Data and Insights Report, providing compelling data on the comparative academic attainment levels at independent (private) schools.

The independent research, carried out by McCrindle Research, shows that university entrance rates of independent school students who followed the NCEA pathway was 93%, compared to 71% at decile 10 schools.

“While most independent schools offer the New Zealand curriculum, many also offer international education pathways such as International Baccalaureate (IB) or Cambridge Assessment International Education. Pass rates for these are also high at 98%” says ISNZ Chief Executive Guy Pascoe.

“Students at independent schools come from diverse socio-economic backgrounds, with many families making enormous financial sacrifices to send their children to the school of their choice” said Mr Pascoe. “Not all children at independent schools come from affluent families. The findings in this report show that there is more to high achievement than socio-economic advantage. These factors are worthy of exploration”.

One in ten students at ISNZ member schools attend on a scholarship or bursary, with two-thirds of students on a scholarship receiving full or partial financial support due to hardship. In 2022 ISNZ member schools collectively provided scholarships or bursaries for students to a total dollar value of $41,343,104.

The report also found that private schools contributed more than $79 million in tax revenue in 2022, nearly twice as much as what the whole sector received in government funding in the same year.

The total annual contribution of independent schools to the economy is more than $605 million. They also save the government significant education expenditure and relieve the burden on the taxpayer to meet the full cost of educating those children enrolled in independent schools. “If you took the 32,000 students currently educated in independent schools and put them in the state system, the additional cost to the government would be astronomical, not just in terms of operational expenses such as teacher salaries, but also in terms of capital expenditure, building maintenance and ongoing annual funding.”

“There is a common misconception that independent schools are a drain on the public purse. In fact, the opposite is true” says ISNZ Chief Executive, Guy Pascoe. “The government is a net fiscal beneficiary of the independent schools’ sector”.

Independent schools exist to provide a choice in education offerings to a diverse New Zealand population making them a critical part of the wider education system. They provide a significant contribution to society, not only through the quality of education of young people, but also in the way they engage with, and serve communities throughout the country.

“It is not about one type of school being better than another. It is about how we can work together across the system, to unlock the global potential of New Zealand’s next generation of young people. Independent schools have a critical role to play.”

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