Labour says Rathkeale College crossed a line in the way it dealt with a single mother. Photo / Wairarapa Times-Age
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Schools have no right to put any pressure on parents to pay voluntary donations, say organisations representing boards of trustees and integrated schools.
Masterton's state-integrated Rathkeale College is in the news over its handling of the case of a solo mother who said she could not pay the
school's $1000-a-term voluntary donation for her son's education.
The college outraged Karen Bock by telling her she should pay the $13,000 "voluntary" fees owing out of the future potential sale of her home.
Ms Bock said she paid about $2000 a year in compulsory fees but could not afford to pay the additional voluntary donation and was upset at the school's "aggressive" attitude.
Vaughan Darby, of the Association of Integrated Schools (AIS), said donations were not enforceable.
"Donations are exactly that - donations," he said.
"We do not support any school which puts pressure on parents to collect money that they are legally not required to pay."
These sentiments were echoed by Ray Newport, general manager of the School Trustees' Association.
Mr Newport said Rathkeale's actions in suggesting that Mrs Tolley pay the fees from the future sale of her home were unusual.
The protocol for non-payment of donations varied, he said.
Some schools left the matter, some reissued invoices showing the amount owing, and some sent letters home offering a "drip-feed" option during the year.
Mr Newport said schools gave the Ministry of Education figures showing the total amount taken in voluntary fees but there was no breakdown showing the level of partial-payment or non-payment among parents.
Mr Darby said integrated schools got money from the Government for operational costs on the same basis as state schools.
The compulsory fee of roughly $2000 a year covered the cost of maintaining buildings owned by the school, rather than the Government.
Voluntary donations provided a "top-up" for operational expenditure, as they did at state schools.
Ms Bock said she would not agree to Rathkeale's proposal.
A spokeswoman for Education Minister Anne Tolley said she would not comment publicly on thematter.
Labour's education spokesman, Trevor Mallard, said Mrs Tolley should be hauling the college over the coals.
"Rathkeale College has crossed a line and the chair of the board of trustees and the principal should be summoned to Wellington, [and] told to apologise to the parent in a very public manner."
- NZPA
