‘It’s not a voucher’: This is how Queensland’s $100 back-to-school bonus will work

Every Queensland primary school student will get $100 wiped off their back-to-school costs next year, but that won’t even cover the cost of pencils and books.

The LNP government’s Back to School Boost will give $100 to every state, Catholic and independent primary school student from January 1, and it will not be means tested.

The payments will cost the government $188.6 million over four years, and can be spent on books, stationery, devices, excursions, uniforms, and extracurricular activities, including sports and arts.

Treasurer David Janetzki (second from right) smiles for a selfie with fellow LNP politicians after delivering his first Queensland budget.Credit: Jamila Filippone

Despite it being described in a government press release on Tuesday as a “$100 voucher”, Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek clarified on Wednesday that it was not a voucher.

“It’s going to go to school accounts, then the parents can use it as a credit towards things they have costs for – so we’re not giving people vouchers,” he said.

“Because, of course, what will always happen is, we have people saying ‘cash them in’. We want to make sure this is applied to the costs of going to school.”

On Facebook, parents said they feared schools would not pass the savings on.

It was also not immediately clear exactly how the rebates would work, as the official book list tends to be ordered via an external office supplies company, or parents buy similar items from stores such as Officeworks or Big W.

Excursions are billed via schools, but uniforms are often sold through P&Cs, which have separate bank accounts.

Families are also asked to buy personal iPads for Year 5 and 6 students – the cheapest of which at Officeworks costs $487.

Asked why it applied to both private and public school families, Langbroek said all parents faced costs in sending their children to school.

“We’re not going to penalise people because of the choices they make,” he said.

It is understood the rebates will not be available to home-schooling families, but for those who can access it, the $100 bonus will be quickly absorbed.

For example, the full book list for Prep in 2025 costs $144.13 at Boondall State School and $180.34 at MacGregor State School.

A uniform of three shirts, three pairs of shorts, a hat and a sports shirt for a primary student costs $216 at Ashgrove State School and $294.30 at Calamvale Community College.

The $100 outlay would not go far at many private schools. At All Hallows, a Catholic school for girls from Year 5, the backpack alone costs $95, and the hat is $90.

An education department spokeswoman said each child enrolled in state primary schools would receive the $100 as a credit on their school account, and it could be used for school-related expenses, such as “stationery, excursions and extracurricular activities”.

“Details of the Back to School Boost program are currently being finalised ahead of its rollout in 2026,” she said.

The private and Catholic school sectors will be responsible for administering the scheme for non-state school students.

High school students will be ineligible, despite school costs often soaring for older children.

At Brisbane State High, subject levies in 2024 included $100 for instrumental music, $170 for Year 11 visual art, $105 for Year 10 engineering, and $175 for Year 11 physical education.

Even Year 10 modern history came with a charge – $20.

Earlier this year, this masthead revealed a damning internal audit into the fees charged by state schools under the Student Resource Scheme, which was designed as a cost-effective alternative to buying textbooks and other resources, by allowing schools to buy them in bulk.

The audit highlighted some parents were being charged more than allowed, disparity between schools, and little justification for fee-setting.

The $100 Back to School Boost was one measure in the LNP’s budget, which, while light on cost-of-living relief as Treasurer David Janetzki targeted “budget repair”, also included $200 Play On sport vouchers, a continuation of 50¢ public transport fares, and a $14 increase in the annual power bill rebate for vulnerable households, to $386.

In comparison, the Miles Labor budget in 2024 was packed with pre-election sweeteners, such as $1000 electricity rebates.

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