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What is a fee and what’s a donation?
Fees are money that has to be paid and donations are money that your family can chose to pay. Many schools call donations “fees”. Some even pass unpaid donations to debt collectors (see below “Can unpaid school fees be passed to debt collectors?”).
Remember that state schooling is free by law until the end of the year in which you turn 19. Very few of the charges made by state schools or integrated schools are legally fees. Most of them are requests for money (i.e. donations) to help with the cost of running schools and equipment. Without all these donations, lots of schools would have difficulty keeping going, unless they got more money from the government.
If you go to a private school, the charges that are allowed will depend on the individual contract that your caregivers signed when you enrolled at the school. This information sheet is about what state or integrated schools are allowed to charge you for your education.
If your caregivers do choose to pay school donations, they are tax deductible, so they can claim on the donations when they do their tax return each year.
Some state and integrated schools ask for fees to cover the cost of photocopying resources for your classes, for technicraft supplies and so forth. Fees such as a “development levy” or for religious instruction are also not true fees, but donations. They are part of what you need to participate in your free education. But if you make something in metal work, for example, it is only yours to keep if you paid for the materials. If you didn’t, it belongs to your school and it can do what it wishes with it once the assessment is over.
You and your caregivers shouldn’t be put under any pressure to pay school fees. You shouldn’t feel embarrassed if you can’t give the school a donation or your parents choose not to. If you don’t pay the school a donation they can’t legally refuse to enroll you, refuse to teach you, try to send you home from school or force you to leave the school.
Most state and integrated schools are happy to talk with your parents about school donations and fees if your family is unable to afford to pay. Your caregivers should ask to speak to the principal about this.
State and integrated schools can charge fees for “extra-curricula activities” (these are activities that aren’t part of the education curriculum, such as going horse-riding). If you or your parents can’t pay for this, your school has to arrange something else for you to do. If the activity the class goes on is one that has classroom follow-up (e.g. a report to write), it is not an extra- curricular activity. (see below “Do I have to pay for school trips and other activities?).
If you go to an integrated school there is one compulsory fee. This is called “attendance dues” and has to be paid.
If you go to a private school your school can charge you compulsory fees and paying those fees can be a condition of your enrolment.
Many state school charge “activity fees”. These may include fees that your parents have to pay as well as donations that they can choose to pay. If your parents want more information, they should ask for a detailed account to show exactly what they are paying for.
Your caregiver can apply to Work and Income New Zealand for a “Special Benefit” for the school donation and fees. This is because you must go to school and your caregiver can’t easily avoid the costs (see “What if I need more help?” at the end of this information sheet).
Remember that state schooling is free by law until the end of the year in which you turn 19. Very few of the charges made by state schools or integrated schools are legally fees. Most of them are requests for money (i.e. donations) to help with the cost of running schools and equipment. Without all these donations, lots of schools would have difficulty keeping going, unless they got more money from the government.
If you go to a private school, the charges that are allowed will depend on the individual contract that your caregivers signed when you enrolled at the school. This information sheet is about what state or integrated schools are allowed to charge you for your education.
If your caregivers do choose to pay school donations, they are tax deductible, so they can claim on the donations when they do their tax return each year.
Some state and integrated schools ask for fees to cover the cost of photocopying resources for your classes, for technicraft supplies and so forth. Fees such as a “development levy” or for religious instruction are also not true fees, but donations. They are part of what you need to participate in your free education. But if you make something in metal work, for example, it is only yours to keep if you paid for the materials. If you didn’t, it belongs to your school and it can do what it wishes with it once the assessment is over.
You and your caregivers shouldn’t be put under any pressure to pay school fees. You shouldn’t feel embarrassed if you can’t give the school a donation or your parents choose not to. If you don’t pay the school a donation they can’t legally refuse to enroll you, refuse to teach you, try to send you home from school or force you to leave the school.
Most state and integrated schools are happy to talk with your parents about school donations and fees if your family is unable to afford to pay. Your caregivers should ask to speak to the principal about this.
State and integrated schools can charge fees for “extra-curricula activities” (these are activities that aren’t part of the education curriculum, such as going horse-riding). If you or your parents can’t pay for this, your school has to arrange something else for you to do. If the activity the class goes on is one that has classroom follow-up (e.g. a report to write), it is not an extra- curricular activity. (see below “Do I have to pay for school trips and other activities?).
If you go to an integrated school there is one compulsory fee. This is called “attendance dues” and has to be paid.
If you go to a private school your school can charge you compulsory fees and paying those fees can be a condition of your enrolment.
Many state school charge “activity fees”. These may include fees that your parents have to pay as well as donations that they can choose to pay. If your parents want more information, they should ask for a detailed account to show exactly what they are paying for.
Your caregiver can apply to Work and Income New Zealand for a “Special Benefit” for the school donation and fees. This is because you must go to school and your caregiver can’t easily avoid the costs (see “What if I need more help?” at the end of this information sheet).
YouthLaw |
Latest page update: made by YouthLaw
, Aug 13 2009, 9:48 PM EDT
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| Started By | Thread Subject | Replies | Last Post | ||
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| Anonymous | My oppion | 1 | May 1 2011, 6:10 PM EDT by Anonymous | ||
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Thread started: May 1 2011, 6:09 PM EDT
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i hope one daay , daht the goverment , over in the sates , for the affricans , ihope dat he provides , the lil children with a school , with education , and fees not to be paid , :)
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