Parent Perceptions of Schooling Options. Independent Schools Queensland Commissioned Research

Transcription

1 Parent Perceptions of ing Options s Queensland Commissioned Research Key Findings October 2014

2 Acknowledgements TNS was commissioned to undertake both qualitative and quantitative research in Queensland and Western Australia on the perceptions of parents in relation to schooling options. TNS conducted three focus groups (two in Queensland and one in Western Australia) for the qualitative component of the research which helped inform the quantitative survey questions. TNS surveyed 948 parents (555 in Queensland and 9 in WA) for the quantitative analysis, representing a statistically sound sample. The summary, graphs and tables in this key findings document were taken from the TNS report. ISQ acknowledges the Association of s of Western Australia for its support and contribution to this research. photography: Cover: Fraser Coast Anglican College Page 0-1: Moreton Bay Boys College Page 2-: Brisbane Adventist College, Townsville Grammar Page 4-5: Immanuel College Page 6-7: Fraser Coast Anglican College Page 8-9: Saint Stephen s College Further copies of this document are available on the website Published by: The Association of s of Queensland Inc PO Box 957 Spring Hill Q 4004 T: F: E: office@isq.qld.edu.au W: Foreword For more than 150 years Queensland s independent schools have been providing high quality educational services to a wide range of students. Queensland s 190 independent schools are a vital part of the state s and nation s education system educating 116,000 students, or 15 percent of Queensland s school enrolments. Choice and diversity are key features of the independent schooling sector. The Queensland Government launched its Public s (IPSs) initiative in 201. Eighty (80) state schools are participating in the initiative in 2014, with the number expected to increase to 120 by IPSs is designed to give state schools greater autonomy in decision making. Given the potential for IPSs to increase the availability of school choice across Queensland, it is timely for a closer look at parent perceptions of the different school education offerings available. s Queensland commissioned TNS to undertake research to better understand parents perceptions of independent schools in the context of the IPSs initiative. To provide a point of comparison to the Queensland findings, the research was also undertaken in Western Australia which has a similar IPSs initiative that has been operating for four years. The research gauged parents awareness of, and attitude towards, independent schools and IPSs and established an understanding of factors parents consider when selecting a school for their children. ISQ regularly researches school choice decision making through its What Parents Want survey which involves parents with children enrolled at independent schools. However the target audience for the TNS research was parents with a child to commence primary or secondary school in the next few years, but not yet enrolled in a school and with no particular school decided with certainty. The research participants were parents in the decision making stages in both Queensland and Western Australia. The findings from the TNS research indicate that the reputation of independent schools is strong and the majority of parents aspire to send their children to an independent school. I trust the research findings will assist independent schools in their understanding of the factors influencing school choice particularly in the context of the IPSs initiative. David Robertson Executive Director s Queensland TNS is a global market research company 1

3 Key Findings Choice Factors The research confirms that school choice is strongly driven by school reputation and the perceived quality of the education offered. This particularly includes the principal and teachers; and factors which underpin a safe, happy, quality learning environment for their child, that is well managed, controlled and disciplined. schooling is generally seen to offer distinct advantages in terms of quality education/teaching, better facilities, greater discipline and increased career advantages. In the minds of parents, the reputation of independent schools is very strong compared to that for Public s (IPS) or other state schools. schooling is the preferred option for most survey participants (assuming cost is not an issue) and is seen to offer distinct advantages. schooling is an aspirational goal for many. Cost and affordability are practical considerations in schooling choice. IPSs are seen by parents as a real option by meeting the need of those with smaller household incomes for quality education opportunities for their children. Attitudinally, those with higher household incomes are less attracted by the IPSs offer and typically have a preference for an independent schooling offer. Perceptions of Type Awareness of Public s (IPSs) Without prompting, very few in either Queensland or Western Australia referred to the term Public (IPS). In Queensland, approximately one third of parents of school aged children were aware of the IPS concept when prompted. In Western Australia, where IPSs have been in operation four years, just half of parents of school aged children were aware when prompted, as outlined in Figure 1. Figure 1: Prompted Awareness of Public s (%) Don t know No Yes QLD - Total WA - Total SOURCE : QA5. Before today, were you aware of the State s Public s? BASE: All respondents (QLD Total n=555; WA Total n=9) In Queensland: y Parents with children at school are more likely to be aware of IPSs than those without children at school (6% compared to 26%) y Those living in metro areas are more likely to be aware of IPSs than those living in non-metro areas (8% compared to 28%) y Parents of children with older siblings are more likely to be aware of IPSs than those without (8% compared to 29%) In Western Australia: y Parents with children at school are more likely to be aware of IPSs than those without children at school (59% compared to 45%) IPSs are generally seen by parents as a great concept, offering an opportunity to provide children with some of the advantages of independent schools without the associated payment of fees. As outlined in Table 1, 6% of survey respondents in Queensland believed IPSs were a great idea/good concept compared with 42% in Western Australia. Table 1: Views on Public s initiative QLD WA 6 It s a great idea / good concept / plan / good initiative 42 / positive / good in theory / step in the right direction 1 Don t know enough about it / need more information to comment / make judgement 8 / yet to see how it works / needs to be involved to know how it works It gives school/principal/teacher more control / autonomy / freedom / how they will spend their budget / over their students / whom they will hire Depends on the prinicpal/admin staff/parents/community inputs / if it is applied/managed correctly / depends on their experience to run school It allows input from the community / more community involvement Parents can have more of a say / more parents involvement It is interesting / sounds interesting / inviting / exciting SOURCE : QA6. What are your thoughts of the Public s initiative? BASE: All respondents (QLD n=555; WA n=9) * Note: Only responses greater than % shown in charts 2

4 Understanding of Public s (IPSs) Parents were unclear as to: how IPSs differed from other state schools; where does control sit, with the government, principals or parents; and who determines the curriculum? The use of the word together with Public appears to confuse the market regarding how a school can be both a public or government school and independent at the same time. Clear understanding of independent school offering Parents have a clear understanding of what differentiates independent schools from other schools: autonomous; high standard of education and teaching; academic performance; disciplined environment; quality facilities; good reputation; offering opportunities for students. As outlined in Table 2, the most common identified differences between independent schools and public schools were better facilities, greater discipline, religious teachings and better education. Just 11% of survey respondents indicated there was no difference between independent and public schools. Table 2: Perceived differences between /Private s and Public s 5% 6% 7% 9% 10% 11% 12% 12% Better facilities / more resources / equipment / better access to technology More discipline / stricter / strict code of conduct None / No difference Religious teachings Better education Better teachers / quality teachers Smaller classes / less students More opportunities / advantages / networking / career prospects 5% Better funded / receive Government funding 5% Uniforms / high standard of dress code / more formal / compulsory uniforms 5% Able to self govern / run own budget / better managed / greater autonomy / not managed by government policy / independent 4% More personalised teaching / one on one attention / more time spent with each student 4% Curriculum / range of subjects A wide range of responses were given 4% Better academic performance / better results overwhelmingly to the advantage of /Private s over Public schools. 4% No difference in education Just 11% of respondents indicated there was no 4% Expensive / higher fees / pay more difference between the two systems. 4% Extra curricular activities Teachers are more concerned / more caring / more dedicated to students / encourage 4% students to do better / more teacher support SOURCE : QA4. Apart from fees, in what ways, if any, do you think /Private s differ from Public s? BASE: All respondents (QLD n=555; WA n=9) *Note: Only responses greater than % shown in charts The terminology of schooling All respondents were aware of public schools and independent schools. However, parents commonly referred to independent schools as private schools. As indicated in the Word Cloud below Figure 2, parents when asked what different types of schools are you aware of? clearly identified public and private as their preferred terminology. Figure 2: Different Types of s public Aware (Word Cloud) Christian high special secondary government primary education boarding montossori independent home school religious state college university anglican kindergarten non-denominational catholic private SOURCE : QA1. Firstly, what different types of schools (not specific schools) are you aware of? BASE: All respondents (QLD n=555; WA n=9) 4 5

5 Market Impact: Public s As outlined in Table, those with household incomes greater than $100,000 are more likely than others to agree the reputation of independent schools is stronger than IPSs and that, if they could, they would still send their child to an independent school. Table : Agreement with Statements amongst Queensland Parents by Household Income (Mean Rating*) Public s are basically the same as other government schools Greater independence makes Public s an attractive option The teachers at Public s are/will be as good as private schools I am more likely to send my child to an Public than an /Private /Private schools will still be a better option for my child than an Public /Private s will always offer higher quality education than Public s The cost of /Private education makes Public s a real option I expect greater student discipline from an Public than other government schools All public schools will eventually become Public s Eventually there will be a push to charge parents to send their children to Public s There are other benefits offered by /Private schools that make them a better option than Public s The reputation of /Private s is stronger than Public s If I could, I would still send my child to an /Private school <$70,000 $70 - $100,000 $100, SOURCE : QA8. Below are a number of statements that some people have made about Public s. Please read each statement and rate how strongly you agree or disagree [SCALE OF 0 (DISAGREE STRONGLY) TO 10 (AGREE STRONGLY)]. * The higher the mean rating the stronger the agreement with the statement. Primary Decision Making The research found schooling decision is less important for primary years compared to secondary years. The survey results suggest IPSs are comparatively more attractive when considering primary school education than when considering secondary school education. The highest ten ranked primary school selection factors for IPSs and independent schools are outlined in Table 4. The survey results show that of those who chose an IPS 1 relatively few did so because it was an IPS. Rather it appears to have been an added benefit rather than the key decision driver. Further, few who selected an IPS would change back if the school was not an IPS, suggesting it was reasons other than the school being an IPS alone that drove the selection decision. As outlined in Table 5, parents who selected an independent (or Catholic) primary school were more likely to have always intended on that school than those who selected an IPS or state school. Almost two in ten of those enrolling at a primary IPS considered an independent school in their decision making. However, 77% of Queensland parents who enrolled their child somewhere other than an IPS did not consider an IPS. Table 4: Top 10 Ranked Selection Attributes (PRIMARY SCHOOL SELECTION): IPS vs s Differences are apparent between the top 10 decision factors for IPSs in comparison with /Private s Green attributes are important for one school offering but not the other. Ranking IPSs s 1 Education quality Education quality 2 Proximity to home Teacher quality s reputation Disciplined environment 4 Teacher quality values 5 Convenience of school location Class sizes 6 Academic benefits/performance s reputation 7 Education facilities Education facilities 8 Affordability Proximity to home 9 Student focus Religious association 10 values Academic benefits/performance SOURCE : QP6/QP14. Below is a list of different factors that people may consider when selecting a primary school for their children. Please select and rank in order, the five (5) factors that were most important to you. BASE: Those in QLD who have a child enrolled in primary school (n=298); Those in QLD with a child not currently enrolled in primary school (n=109) Table 5: Decision Making Process in Choosing a Primary (%) Child currently enrolled in primary school I/We were always 100% sure about where we would send our child I/We had some idea of schools we were interested in I/We decided to send our child to the local primary school State Govt. Public / Catholic 9% 5% 47% 29% 41% 50% 29% 24% 1% Something else % 0% 1% SOURCE : QP4. Which of the following best describes your decision making around choosing a primary school for this child? BASE: Those who have a child enrolled in primary school (QLD: State school (n=20), IPS (n=17*), Catholic (n=42), Ind/Pvt (n=6); WA: State school (n=116), IPS (n=50), Catholic (n=), Ind/Pvt (n=25*)) * CAUTION: Small sample size 6 1 In relation to Queensland respondents to the survey, 6% of primary and pre-primary children were enrolled at a primary IPS (for WA, the corresponding figure was 22%). This compared to 11% enrolled in independent schools. 7

6 Secondary Decision Making Consideration of independent schools increases and that of IPSs weakens for parents when enrolling a child in a secondary school. The highest ten ranked secondary school selection factors for IPSs and independent schools are outlined in Table 6. Around 1 in 4 in Queensland and 1 in in Western Australia who chose a secondary IPS had considered an independent school at some point prior to enrolment in the IPS 2. Most (82% in Queensland and 9% in Western Australia) would have still enrolled their child at the same school if it was not an IPS. Table 6: Top 10 Ranked Selection Attributes (SECONDARY SCHOOL SELECTION): IPS vs s Green attributes are important for one school offering but not the other. Ranking IPSs 1 Education quality Education quality 2 Academic benefits/performance Disciplined environment Teacher quality Career pathway 4 s reputation Academic benefits/performance 5 Proximity to home Teacher quality 6 Affordability values 7 Education facilities Class sizes 8 Disciplined environment s reputation 9 Student focus Student focus 10 values Education facilities SOURCE : QS6/QS14. Below is a list of different factors that people may consider when selecting a secondary school for their children. Please select and rank in order, the five (5) factors that were most important to you. Table 7: Decision Making Process in Choosing a Secondary (%) Conclusion Research consistently identifies the many variables considered by parents when selecting a school for their children. The introduction of the IPSs initiative in Queensland will provide another element of choice for many parents. Whilst public education is highly valued in the Australian community, sending one s child to an independent school is an aspirational goal for many. The research conducted by TNS shows the market refers to independent schools more commonly as private schools. The reputation of independent schools is still very strong. As expected, after less than two years of operation, the awareness and understanding of Public s is not strong in the community. The market has a very clear impression of what differentiates independent schools from other schools and it is those differentiating factors which will continue to attract parents to the independent sector. The challenge for independent schools is to not only ensure that the education quality being offered is of the highest standard but also that parents and the community are informed of their brand across a range of different aspects including the quality of education and teaching, facilities, values and discipline and academic benefits. As outlined in Table 7, parents who selected an independent (or Catholic) secondary school were more likely to have always intended on that school than those who selected an IPS or state school. One in four in Queensland and one in three in WA who enrolled their child at a secondary IPS considered an independent school in their decision making. However, 81% of Queensland parents who enrolled their child somewhere other than an IPS did not consider an IPS. Child currently enrolled in secondary school I/We were always 100% sure about where we would send our child I/We had some idea of schools we were interested in I/We decided to send our child to the local primary school State Govt. Public / Catholic 8% 5% 49% 29% 47% 47% 28% 18% 0% Something else 5% 0% 4% SOURCE : QS4. Which of the following best describes your decision making around choosing a secondary school for this child? BASE: Those who have a child enrolled in secondary school (QLD n=255; WA n=172) QS11. Which of the following best describes your decision making around choosing a secondary school for this child? BASE: Those who have a child not yet at school who is not enrolled in secondary school (QLD n=00; WA n=220) 2 In relation to Queensland respondents to the survey, 7% of secondary students were enrolled at an IPS (for WA, the corresponding figure was 17%). This compared to 22% enrolled at an independent secondary school in Queensland (WA 22%). 8 9

7 PO Box 957 Spring Hill Qld 4004 T: (07) F: (07) s Queensland October 2014