Primary school fees now rival colleges'

Primary schools in wealthy Auckland suburbs are asking for more in "parental donations" than most secondary schools.

Remuera School requests a $400 voluntary donation - putting it above the average of $152 sought by state secondary schools.

On top of the contribution, the decile-10 school also operates a "user pays" philosophy and charges up to $160 in activity fees for extras such as class trips, camp and photocopying.

The principal of the 600-pupil school, Roween Higgie, said the money ensured it provided the best education possible. "The Ministry [of Education] does not give us enough to do that."

The contribution was used for additional staff, learning programmes and student support.

Government funding had fallen behind the times for central Auckland staffing and building costs, Ms Higgie said.

A Herald survey of donations at 134 state and integrated secondary schools, published this week, found all but a handful asked for extra cash to top up the Government operational grant.

The Remuera contribution puts the school behind just four state secondary schools in the amount it asks for.

At nearby Meadowbank School the donation is the same. With discounts for multiple family members at the school, a family with four children enrolled would pay up to $1350.

The school, like many others, is suffering from a drop in international student numbers and expects to draw about $20,000 in foreign fees this year, compared with the $140,000 it received last year.

Devonport School asks for a $260 contribution, but principal Shirley Hardcastle said that did not cover any extra activities, such as class trips.

That figure would still place it above all but the top 10 state secondary schools.

Outside Auckland, high-decile primary schools do not appear to be feeling the pinch quite so hard.

Cleve Bloor, principal at Maunu School in Whangarei, said he was charging $100, which included costs of photocopying and technology.

"We have a Parent Teacher Association whose prime job used to be liaison but is now fundraising, which is ridiculous," said Mr Bloor.

Omokoroa School in Tauranga also asks for a $100 donation to "prop up the operational grant", said principal Chris Broadhurst.

"We are a decile-nine school and need to raise $20,000 a year just to have a zero balance," he said.

But at Seatoun School in Wellington, parents are asked to pay $320 a child. Activity fees can take that up by a further $180 for years seven and eight.

Principal Peter Pointon said the money was specifically for staffing. "We are trying to close the gap between what the Government expects and what it pays for," he said.

High-decile schools do not get as much in Government funding as those in low socio-economic areas.

The New Zealand Parent Teacher Association says it is concerned about the increasing pressure that parents are coming under to top up operational funding, particularly in the medium- to high-decile schools.