A principal of one of New Zealand's more affluent schools says students would suffer without the voluntary payments parents contribute each year.
Byron Bentley, from decile 10 Macleans College in Bucklands Beach, said 82 per cent of parents paid their $460 "donation" to the school this year.
"Of course, we
are very grateful for that. I think it's a huge number and is testament to how important the parents think donations are for their children's education," he said.
"If we charge anything else it might be $20 to join a sports team or a music group for the year, it's kind of user-pays stuff."
Ministry of Education figures show the state school is ranked sixth in the country for locally-raised funds and one of eight Auckland schools in the top 10.
The school, with a roll of 2300 students, raised $4.5 million last year.
About $2 million of those funds came from the 300 international students the school has on its books.
Mr Bentley would not be drawn when asked if schools' reliance on external contributions was increasing and more government funding was needed.
But he said 55 per cent of his school's running costs came from locally-raised funds.
"It's the old story of how much is enough ... but our extra curricular programmes, all our sport and music and to be able to maintain our huge IT capabilities would badly suffer if we didn't have that locally raised money," said Mr Bentley.
"A lot of other programmes in the curriculum as well, like literacy and numeracy programmes, they would suffer as well, there's no question about that."
Mr Bentley said some students received assistance from charitable organisations but had to apply for help.
HOW MUCH PARENTS GAVE SCHOOLS
Sacred Heart College (Auckland) $6,377,422
Bethlehem College 5,331,470
Rangitoto College 5,049,506
Avondale College 5,027,003
Auckland Grammar 4,907,426
Macleans College 4,534,045
Mt Roskill Grammar 4,192,924
Hutt International Boys' School 3,876,057
Westlake Boys' High School 3,855,232
Epsom Girls' Grammar School 3,745,071
Burnside High School 3,486,491
Baradene College 3,452,728
St Peter's College (Epsom) 3,438,410
Takapuna Grammar School 3,417,293
Hamilton Boys' High School 3,301,838
Waikato Diocesan School For Girls 3,219,033
Sancta Maria College 3,138,182
Christchurch Boys' High School 3,110,790
Wellington College 3,057,470
St Mary's College (Wellington) 2,992,590
Mt Albert Grammar School 2,948,747
Kingsway School 2,856,415
John Paul College 2,798,733
Wellington High School & Com Ed Centre 2,767,164
Howick College 2,752,914
Palmerston North Boys' High School 2,717,176
Westlake Girls' High School 2,675,417
Middleton Grange School 2,663,067
Aquinas College 2,612,754
Northcote College 2,576,412
Nelson College For Girls 2,553,807
Orewa College 2,472,818
Rosmini College 2,467,543
Glenfield College 2,467,541
St Patrick's College (Kilbirnie) 2,460,702
Botany Downs Secondary College 2,446,977
Greymouth High School 2,442,355
Otumoetai College 2,411,985
Pakuranga College 2,401,057
Rangiora High School 2,396,941
Massey High School 2,355,261
Taupo-nui-a-Tia College2,343,810
Lynfield College 2,265,778
Long Bay College 2,199,498
St Mary's College (Ponsonby) 2,146,882
Tauranga Boys' College 2,128,792
Waimea College 2,118,545
Nelson College 2,115,038
Lindisfarne College 2,109,450
Wairarapa College 2,087,628
Albany Junior High School 2,075,738
St John's College (Hillcrest) 2,040,417
Correspondence School 2,023,000
Hamilton Girls' High School 2,015,395
Francis Douglas Memorial College 2,008,819
St Peter's College (Palmerston North) 1,986,733
Papanui High School 1,978,406
Shirley Boys' High School 1,971,084
Sacred Heart College (Lower Hutt) 1,961,595
Selwyn College1,958,639
Hagley Community College 1,958,590
Onehunga High School 1,955,899
Christchurch Girls' High School 1,949,512
Kamo High School 1,949,193
Kamo School 1,949,193
Wanganui High School 1,934,224
Woodford House 1,870,923
Hillcrest High School 1,863,048
Rotorua Girls' High School 1,854,518
Hutt Valley High School 1,836,992
Wellington Girls' College 1,805,923
Kapiti College 1,773,699
St Dominic's College (Henderson) 1,758,654
Whangarei Boys' High School 1,754,599
Auckland Girls' Grammar School 1,747,105
Mahurangi College 1,733,345
St Bernard's College 1,722,540
Elim Christian College 1,719,792
Mt Maunganui College 1,719,369
Northcross Intermediate 1,718,476
Linwood College 1,715,488
Glendowie College 1,714,901
James Hargest College 1,714,138
Nayland College 1,710,596
Newlands College 1,703,267
Whangarei Girls' High School 1,698,221
Tauranga Intermediate 1,692,140
Kerikeri High School 1,680,986
Cashmere High School 1,659,403
Sacred Heart Girls' College (Ham) 1,641,726
Marist College 1,641,494
Mt Aspiring College 1,639,809
St Paul's College (Ponsonby) 1,624,505
Darfield High School 1,624,026
Onslow College 1,609,856
Carmel College 1,588,348
Western Heights High School 1,580,913
Pukekohe High School 1,575,469
Riccarton High School 1,567,288
St Bedes College 1,565,399
Tauranga Girls' College 1,553,663
Rutherford College 1,551,129
Western Springs College 1,539,252
Lincoln High School 1,527,522
Cambridge High School 1,509,016
Rotorua Boys' High School 1,505,967
Edgewater College 1,481,442
Sacred Heart Girls' College (N Plymouth) 1,477,256
St Oran's College 1,472,961
St Matthew's Collegiate (Masterton) 1,468,613
Iona College 1,463,614
New Plymouth Boys' High School 1,460,693
New Plymouth Girls' High School 1,433,752
De La Salle College 1,424,651
Murrays Bay Intermediate 1,418,745
Birkenhead College 1,416,719
Marlborough Girls' College 1,403,981
Rathkeale College 1,362,901
Campion College 1,362,884
Raphael House Rudolf Steiner Area School 1,361,376
Te Awamutu College 1,340,431
Michael Park School 1,317,213
Auckland Normal Intermediate 1,308,408
Avonside Girls' High School 1,303,890
Wellington East Girls' College 1,262,759
Remuera Intermediate 1,242,097
Mount Hutt College 1,218,008
Logan Park High School 1,213,153
Taradale High School 1,213,110
Whangaparaoa College 1,208,452
Kaiapoi High School 1,200,905
Upper Hutt College 1,192,197
Bucklands Beach Intermediate 1,190,766
Ashburton College 1,178,444
Southland Girls' High School 1,171,605
Northland College 1,166,685
Te Awamutu Intermediate 1,161,523
Villa Maria College 1,159,151
Pompallier Catholic College 1,140,164
Napier Boys' High School 1,133,690
Aranui High School 1,131,297
Matamata College 1,125,737
St Mary's Catholic School (Tauranga) 1,124,224
Marcellin College 1,123,777
Southern Cross Campus 1,122,913
Havelock North High School 1,112,493
Hastings Boys' High School 1,104,349
Wesley College 1,092,596
St John's College (Hastings) 1,085,267
St Catherines College (Kilbirnie) 1,080,347
St Patrick's College (Silverstream) 1,074,781
Otamatea High School 1,074,709
Kaikorai Valley College 1,064,992
Southland Boys' High School 1,063,964
Takapuna Normal Intermediate 1,054,424
Star of the Sea School (Howick) 1,039,822
Marian Catholic School (Hamilton) 1,015,437
Glen Eden Intermediate 1,006,608
Principal: Parents' money vital
A principal of one of New Zealand's more affluent schools says students would suffer without the voluntary payments parents contribute each year.
Byron Bentley, from decile 10 Macleans College in Bucklands Beach, said 82 per cent of parents paid their $460 "donation" to the school this year.
"Of course, we
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