More and more Australian parents are opting for private education for their children, new data reveals.

Data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics reveals there were 6388 fewer students in the public system in 2021, a 0.2 per cent drop from the previous year.

In private education, there were an additional 21,537 students last year, up by 3.6 per cent.

Private schools now enrol 15.4 per cent of all Australian students.

CEO Independent Schools Victoria, Michelle Green, says it “just shows that parents appreciate the fact that there is a choice in schooling”.

“I think parents are thinking very clearly about what is is they want to achieve with their children’s schooling,” she told Neil Mitchell.

“Quite often it is good results but more often it’s around finding the right setting for their child.”

Ms Green says most recent growth has been at cheaper private schools.

“Most of the growth last year is in schools that have low to moderate fees, so less than $7500 mainly,” she said.

Press PLAY below to hear more about what’s fuelling the trend