Global education companies are planning to open Australia's first for-profit schools targeting local primary and secondary students as early as next year.
Fairview Global, a for-profit schools network based in Malaysia, will send scouts to Australia within six months to find potential sites, with the aim of opening two schools next year and in 2015.
''We plan to have one school in the west and one in the east of Australia - cosmopolitan cities of intellects with international-mindedness,'' said the chairman of Fairview International Schools' governing council, Daniel Chian.
At present, private schools must be not-for-profit to receive public funding, a status held by Catholic and independent schools. Schools are for-profit if revenue is passed to an outside person or group for financial gain. They are legal to operate.
Advertisement Mr Chian said the expansion plan was being guided by a former vice-chancellor of an Australian university who is now a member of the Fairview governing council, but would not reveal the name.
A second company, Gems Education, based in Dubai, hopes to open a school in Australia. Its original plan to start one in Melbourne was shelved two years ago.
Read more: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/national/education/forprofit-schools-to-cash-in-20130119-2czzc.html#ixzz2ITvBXduM
