Sydney Private School’s $60 Million ‘Castle’ Provokes Public Outcry

A Sydney private school has sparked public outrage with the launch of its $60 million faux castle student centre, amid controversy over the extravagant costs. 

Known for its high tuition fees, Scots College is a non-selective, private boys’ school offering day and boarding education from Pre-Kindergarten through to Year 12. 

Tuition fees range from $27,240 for Kindergarten to $46,920 for senior years (Years 11 and 12), with additional boarding fees of $34,660 for students in Years 9-12. These fees are in accordance with the 2024 fee schedule. 

In 2019, Scots College in Bellevue Hill proposed a $29 million plan to build a library resembling a Scottish castle. The proposal included demolishing part of the Stevenson Library, built in 1988, to add a fifth storey, a castle-like tower and new entrances from the quadrangle and oval. 

Despite concerns raised by Woollahra Council and local residents, who voiced objections over increasing traffic and potential impacts on harbour views, the project gained approval with support from the NSW Department of Planning and Environment, with construction beginning in June 2021. 

The faux baronial castle’s launch comes more than seven years after the school first lodged plans for the upgrade. 

Additionally, construction delays and budget blowouts have left parents frustrated, especially after a $50 charge was added to their fee statements for student entry to the centre’s opening event, as reported by SMH.

Public outrage over exorbitant Scots College ‘castle’ cost

The costs have triggered public outrage, with many questioning the necessity of the construction project, and the use of government funding. In 2022, Scots College received $8.35 million in government grants, followed by $8.97 million in 2023, along with an additional $4 million in donations and bequeaths. 

This controversy comes amid growing concerns over inequities in Australia’s school funding. 

Research from the Australian Education Union last year reveals that more than half of private schools in New South Wales now receive more combined government funding per student than comparable public schools. 

In fact, the number of private schools receiving higher government funding than similar public schools rose from 394 in 2013 to 536 in 2022. This shift highlights a widening gap, with the percentage of private schools benefiting from greater funding increasing from 46.7% to 59.6% over the past decade.

Inequities between public and private school government funding

AEU Federal President Correna Haythorpe said the shock findings highlighted an urgent need for public schools to be fully funded by all governments. 

“Some private schools in New South Wales are receiving up to $6,219 per student more in government funding than similar public schools with very similar student profiles, in some cases those schools are just around the corner from each other,” Haythorpe said at the time. 

“This unfair private school funding advantage translates into a school resourcing and staffing advantage and has fuelled a private school capital works boom, while at the same time denying public schools the recurrent funding needed to attract and retain teachers and to address the high level of student needs in the classroom,” Haythorpe added. 

President of NSW Teachers’ Federation Henry Rajendra emphasised that public schools in New South Wales educate 2.6 times the number of students from low socio-educational advantage backgrounds compared to private schools, and 2.9 times the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. However, current funding levels for public schools are insufficient to meet students’ needs.

​$60 million castle price tag angers Sydney residents

Sydney residents are expressing their anger over the $60 million price tag of Scots College’s new castle-like student centre. Many have taken to social media to voice their frustration, highlighting the disparity between private and public school funding. 

One comment reads: “And public schools I have worked at are told to “make your budget work” to fix roof damage that is causing leaks and mould. Private schools should not get the funding they do.”

Another person expressed “Meanwhile, public schools in western Sydney are hoping and praying that one day, they might be fully air conditioned! But private schools building castles probably need the government funding more, idk.” 

​Critics argue that public schools in New South Wales, which serve a higher proportion of students from disadvantaged backgrounds, are underfunded. This funding gap leads to resource shortages and increased financial burdens on families, raising concerns about the equity of the current educational funding model in the state.

For example, North Sydney Boys High School, which has ranked first in the state based on HSC results for the last two years, charged $2,452 in voluntary contributions per student. In contrast, other public schools reported higher contributions, such as Conservatorium High School at $5,928, Yanco Agricultural High School at $3,184, and Hornsby Girls’ High School at $2,704.

​Addressing these funding disparities is crucial to ensuring equitable educational opportunities for all students in New South Wales.