IN 1984 the average Australian household spent $3.30 a week on education, now the average weekly cost is $44, according to data released by the Australian Scholarship Group. 

It’s more in Canberra, with families spending $61 per week, which is the highest in Australia. Overall, the average cost of government schooling for a child from kindergarten through to Year 12 is more than $55,000. 

The not-for-profit Good Shepherd Microfinance CEO, Peter McNamara says rising back-to-school costs are draining household budgets, threatening to send thousands of Canberra families into debt. 

“There’s truly no such thing as a free education,” Mr McNamara says. 

“The expectation that students bring their own device, like a laptop or tablet, is just an impossible expense for many families.

“Then you add uniforms, books, excursions, music or sport; parents have to find hundreds, if not thousands of dollars before their child even starts the new school year.

“That can make it desperately difficult for people on low incomes to afford their normal bills, like food and power.”