How state schools are tricking parents into paying more in fees
If you’re a parent of child attending state school, make sure you read this before you pay your school fees. You’re being tricked into paying hundreds more than you have to — here’s how to save cash without feeling guilty.
Education
Don't miss out on the headlines from Education . Followed categories will be added to My News.
Read this before you pay your child’s state school fees, because I’ll bet you’re being tricked into paying hundreds more than you have to.
It’s time for schools to stop hounding parents to pay voluntary fees, leaving us feeling exploited and pressured.
Schools are sending out repeated bills for voluntary government school fees or filling in pre-set amounts of up to $500, making parents think the funds are compulsory when they are not.
AUSSIE PARENTS WANT ‘LIFE SKILLS’ TAUGHT IN SCHOOL
HOW TO PICK THE RIGHT HIGH SCHOOL
NEW VIDEO EMERGES FROM GISBORNE BRAWL SCHOOL
Parents are already paying many hundreds in essential fees and shouldn’t be strongarmed by schools into paying one cent more than they need to for voluntary levies.
Most of us already pay handsomely for our state school kids’ education through the tax system.
I have two kids at state schools and don’t mind paying a small contribution to cover stationary, educational supplies and extra activities, but I shouldn’t be billed over and over for purely voluntary contributions.
Nor should I be made to feel guilty because I don’t want to pay or can’t pay non-essential amounts.
I’ve looked at dozens and dozens of Victorian state school bills and in Victoria parents are being asked to pay as much as $2400 (and as little as $83) in supposedly fee-free schools.
Most government school bills are made up of a confusing array of essential, optional and voluntary payments, leaving many parents at sea as to what they have to pay and what they
can choose to pay.
Here are some of the traps schools are using to con parents.
— They suggest high amounts for voluntary payments. One school sent home a bill of $1435 for year eight students, of which just $593 was essential and had to be paid. The rest was made up of $462 in optional payments (for elective subjects or extension classes not taken by all kids) and $380 in voluntary payments. Although the payment for buildings and library funds are entirely discretionary, this inner east school suggests it should be $380. Although the bills says: “this amount can be edited”, they don’t make it clear you don’t have to pay anything at all.
— Some schools offer a misleading range of amounts. In the voluntary payments section one school in Richmond suggests parents pay $50, $100, $250, $500 or “other amount” — but nowhere do they say the amount can be $0. Another school tells families they “may donate
the amount suggested in the list or any other amount they feel is appropriate” — but nowhere do they say parents don’t have to pay anything at all.
— They list voluntary fees under essential education items. My own son’s school lists $60 for “building maintenance” under the heading Essential Education Items although a cover letter
makes it clear this payment is voluntary. The fee is even rolled into the $510 “total cost per student” which should actually be $450.
— The bills are designed to be contradictory. One school in Seaford lists “college council requested payments” of $188. This has a tiny symbol E/0 next to it, denoting that it’s both
optional and essential. So, should it be paid or not? If you don’t pay the “educational supplements charge of $150”, will your kid miss out? And if you don’t pay $90 for the school
nurse, can your child still get treated? And will your kids miss out on a computer if you don’t pay a $60 ICT levy? It’s very unclear. They prey on your guilt. Although terms like voluntary and optional are used, parents are made to feel like they are letting the team down if they don’t pay in full. My son’s school lists a “grounds maintenance and development contribution” which is $40 and the letter says the money is “requested” although it’s not marked as optional. In the voluntary section the school suggests payments of $50 and $30 although they say “families may care to make a more generous contribution” but they don’t say you can pay nothing.
— They send the same bill out over and over. Parents want to do the right thing by their kids and by the time they’ve received the same bill three times, they feel pressured to pay it in full.
The bottom line is that parents should not be made to feel guilty by schools because they don’t give hundreds of dollars in voluntary donations.
A NSW Parents and Citizens Association report suggests that 80 per cent of parents don’t realise some school contributions are voluntary. I’ll bet it’s the same here.
Student fees I examined ranged from $83 to $2400. Schools in wealthy areas rake in more than two million a year while the poorer schools get less than a tenth of this.
This creates a real two-tier system where schools in leafy inner suburbs earn big bucks while schools in poorer areas get just a few hundred thousand.
Schools in the middle take advantage, and if you’re lucky enough to send your kids to a school in a relatively affluent area, then you can be they’ll ask you for more and more.
Some schools are even offering discounts for early payment of $50, thus disadvantaging those with less money who can’t afford to pay early.
Most of us have a mentality that means you pay a bill when you get it — on time and in full. Parents are busy and we often pay bills online, just looking at the bottom line rather than the fine print.
Schools should not trap parents into paying one more dollar than they need to and it’s time the exploitative process stopped.
Here’s what you need to know
— Schools can’t withhold access to enrolment or advancement to the next year level according to the non-payment of fees.
— You don’t have to pay before the start of each school year.
— Your children cannot be denied participation in an essential activity or refused instruction or experience disadvantage because of non-payment of fees.
— Parents experiencing hardship should not be chased by schools from one year to the next.
— Schools must not use debt collectors and parents should not be hounded for voluntary contributions.
Source: Victorian Dept of Education
Fees paid at state schools per year
Among the highest
— Auburn College raises $890,000 with an average fee per student of $2418*
— Elwood College raises $1.4 million with an average fee per student of $2365
— Brighton Secondary College raises $1.6 million with an average fee per student of $1369
Among the lowest
— Hume Secondary College raises $168,000 with an average fee per student of $151
— Narre Warren South P-12 College raises $199,000 from an average fee per student of $99
— Pakenham Sec Coll $62,000 from an average fee per student of $83
Source: My Schools website (some figures for 2016, others 2017)
* Category includes “fees, charges and parent contributions” and excludes state, national and private funding.
Which unis give you best odds of finding a job?
Nine out of 10 graduates from Victorian universities are working full-time three years after finishing their studies. See which are the top-ranked institutions for higher education in Victoria.
Your guide to schools around Dandenong
As more people move to Dandenong and Endeavour Hills, the need for secondary schools in the area grows. Here’s a comprehensive guide of each school you can send your child to, including the VCE scores, subjects and public transport options.