State schools send out misleading bills for voluntary fee payments

State schools are tricking parents into paying hundreds of dollars a year in voluntary fees by sending out bills that are deliberately misleading or confusing, a Herald Sun investigation has found.

State schools are tricking parents into paying hundreds of dollars a year in voluntary fees, a Herald Sun investigation has found.

Department of Education guidelines say government schools must clearly delineate between essential, optional and voluntary fees.

But many schools send out bills that are deliberately misleading or confusing, leaving many parents unsure about what they have to pay and what they can choose to pay. Analysis of bills from primary and secondary schools show some institutions receive as much as $2400 annually in fees per student, and as little as $83, depending on the school’s socio-economic status.

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Anne-Maree Kliman from the Victorian Principals’ Association.

It comes as NSW research suggests 80 per cent of parents don’t realise some payments are voluntary. Tricks used by schools in Victoria to trap parents into paying more include:

PRE-FILLING in amounts as high as $380 for voluntary fees that do not have to be paid;

SENDING repeated reminders for bills that include voluntary amounts even though it is against departmental policy;

CONFUSING charges such as “council college requested payments” which are marked both optional and essential;

ADDING a range of payment options for voluntary fees — at one inner-city primary school parents were asked to pay $50, $100, $250, $500 or “other amount” — but nowhere does it say the amount can be $0; and

LISTING voluntary fees under essential items. One primary school lists $60 for building maintenance under the ­“Essential Educational Items” total even though a cover letter says it is voluntary.

Schools are also offering early bird discounts of $50 or 5 per cent off to those who pay early, further disadvantaging those with financial hardship.

A spokeswoman for the Education Department said their policy was designed to ensure “parent payment processes and practices were fair, transparent and inclusive”.

She said schools should assist parents who are unable to afford requested payments.

Anne-Maree Kliman from the Victorian Principals’ Association said schools needed to be clear about payments when communicating to ­parents. But Parents Victoria executive officer Gail McHardy said many parents were unsure about payment policy.

“Not only does any voluntary fee put pressure on many parents, but the amounts schools can raise via these charges differ immensely.”

She said there was no ­excuse for schools who hid ­voluntary payments within essential fees. “Schools should be pulled up on this.”

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