Four Canberra schools are behind an increase in private school enrolments in the ACT

While the overall school population barely grew between 2022 and 2023, public school enrolments dropped by 532 students while non-government school enrolments increased by 637.

Deputy director general of system policy and reform Deb Efthymiades told an ACT budget estimates hearing that two-thirds of the growth seen in the independent school sector was caused by four schools.

"The two that have genuine growth are Marist [College] and Burgmann [Anglican School]. The two that are in recovery are Brindabella Christian School, who had the largest increase [of] 157 students. ... and St. Edmund's [College]," Ms Efthymiades.

"Between those four schools that caters for 66 per cent of that growth.

"There's also been an uptick in the two schools that are grounded in Islamic faith. So that's about 74 students. So that takes us to about 79 per cent of the growth."

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Ms Efthymiades said the remaining schools were either stable or had modest increases in enrolments.

For the second consecutive year, there was a drop in the number of preschool enrolments according to the February school census.

Ms Efthymiades said fewer school enrolments in ACT were expected for two more years in line with the territory's estimated population of children but it was too early to say if it would take pressure off public schools.

"Communities routinely go through demographic changes and they're not static," she said.

"We're now in the second year of what looks like a four-year dip just in the eligible school aged kids coming through."

Ms Efthymiades would not comment on why parents chose to enrol students in private schools but said religious affiliation was behind the growth at the Islamic schools.

"School choice is school choice."

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