Faith-Based Education Drives Independent Enrolments to 20 Percent of All NSW Students

A new report found parents were increasingly interested in ‘values-based education’ for their kids.

School students make their way through the Sydney central business district (CBD) in Australia on March 26, 2025. Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images

Independent school enrolments have surged 20 percent in Australia’s most populous state, New South Wales, with traditional households in Western Sydney being a major driver of this trend.

Independent schools are classed as those offering education outside of state-based services and the Catholic education system.