Private-schools-in-race-to-impress-with-best-facilities-2014 in Australia

The state’s top private schools are locked in a facilities ”arms race”, spending up to $20 million a year on upgrades to sports, arts and educational buildings.

Wesley College spent $20 million on capital works in 2012, the most recent year available – more than any other school in the state.

Trinity Grammar School was next with $16.4 million, then Camberwell Grammar at $14.3 million.Wesley College spent a total of $43 million between 2009 and 2012, again the highest amount in Victoria. The school built a new sports complex in Glen Waverley, but the bulk of its spending was on a $30 million redevelopment of its St Kilda Road campus. The school’s music school and digital media centre were rebuilt.

At Trinity Grammar, which spent $37 million during the same period, the biggest investment was a new library and a senior classroom complex.

Other schools, such as St Francis Xavier College in Beaconsfield, spent big to cope with a surge in enrolments.

Public, Catholic and independent schools are calling for significant increases in government funding to cope with the 600,000 extra students expected to be enrolled by 2020.
Victorian public schools spent an average $877 per student on capital works in 2012, Catholic schools $1491, and independent schools $2905, according to analysis commissioned by the Australian Education Union.