South Australian families could soon save thousands on their children’s education, with the Labor Government pledging to abolish public school fees from 2027 if re-elected.
Premier Peter Malinauskas and Education Minister Blair Boyer have announced Labor will remove the annual materials and services charge for public school students, in a move designed to ease cost-of-living pressure across the state.
Currently, the average annual materials and services charge sits at $382 for primary school students and $723 for secondary students. The Government says scrapping the fee would save families an average of more than $8,000 per child across the course of their schooling.
“Public education sets our children and young people up for a good life, with access to the knowledge and skills they need to access secure, well-paid jobs,” Premier Peter Malinauskas said.
“But the cost of public school fees is a struggle for many families. Families should not experience financial pressure to send their children to public school.
“A re-elected Malinauskas Government will abolish school fees for every public school child from 2027 – saving families thousands.”
The commitment is expected to save South Australian families around $300 million over four years. That includes an additional $148 million on top of the existing $152 million investment in the school card program and the $200 materials and services charge rebate already in place for students in 2025 and 2026. Funding would be directed straight to schools to ensure they can continue delivering programs and resources without passing costs onto families.
The proposed policy builds on a suite of existing cost-of-living measures introduced in recent years. These include $100 materials and services fee discounts between 2022 and 2024, increasing to $200 in 2025 and 2026, discounted school computers at an average 15 per cent reduction, and two $100 sports vouchers per child — now expanded to include music lessons.
Families have also benefited from the $10 for 28 days Student MetroCARD initiative, expanded school breakfast programs, and a $4 million boost to The Smith Family’s Learning for Life program, supporting an additional 700 families each year. From next year, students on the school card program will also have access to free laptops in Years 7 and 10.
