Government's claim that state education is free is 'fiction'

Government advice to parents that schools do not need to charge 'voluntary' school fees or 'donations' has infuriated principals who insist education is subsidised, not free.

The Sunday Star Times reported in January that, last year, schools raised $500 million to stay afloat, with some schools setting debt collectors on parents who failed to pay 'voluntary' school fees. By law, every New Zealand child has the right to a free education from age five to 19.

Education Minister Chris Carter told the Sunday Star Times that coercing parents to pay donations was illegal and he urged parents to email or telephone his office if it happened to them.

Secondary Principals’ Association head Arthur Graves told the Sunday Star Times he would not use debt collectors, but that it reflected the desperation of schools "scrambling" to find the funds "just to hold the basics together".

"The whole story now, about it being a free education, is not quite correct. I would be surprised now if there were any schools that weren’t charging fees around curriculum subjects."

The Dominion Post reported Wellington College headmaster Roger Moses as saying it was not useful for government to signal that schools did not need voluntary school fees.

"My point is that is a fiction. The reality is we are not getting enough to run our schools." Computer costs were not properly resourced, nor were other basic expenses, such as maintenance, library books and sports equipment," Mr Moses said.

Resources

The Sunday Star Times story is at this web page.

The Dominion Post story is at this web page.