Wellington College, a decile 10 school, charges $720 per student and $250 for each sibling each year for "extras" such as sports gear and computers, and the headmaster Roger Moses has admitted that it is powerless to act against the quarter of parents who refused to pay. Auckland Grammar deputy headmaster Wayne Moore said only 65 per cent of parents paid and his school would introduce a $250 "compulsory fee" in 2008 for technology subjects. The Rector of Palmerston North Boys' High School (decile 9), Tim O'Connor said that:
"We have parents who simply don't pay, believing that we have a totally free education system, which is generally supported by what the ministry tells parents."
and that his school was considering hiring a full-time commercial manager to raise the extra $1.5 million a year it needed to operate.
In 2007 Feilding High School allegedly named students in school assembly, sent students home and restricted access to classes, because their parents had not paid subject fees. The Ministry of Education said in a media release that:
... a school has the right to pursue the payment of legitimate charges. It has access to the same debt recovery processes as any other organisation. Parents are required to pay any legitimate charges that have been agreed with the school in the same manner that they are required to pay their power and phone bills.
However, Mr Matheson also said that a school cannot use students as a lever in debt recovery. A school has no right to restrict access to classes, or send students home, or to shame students as a device to force their parents to pay. The issue of the claimed debt is between the school and parents.
Because school attendance is compulsory for students it is unethical for a school to use its relationship with students in this manner.
Failure to ensure the well-being of all students at the school could result in the ministry using its statutory powers to intervene in the operation of the school board. The ministry has the power to appoint a specialist adviser to the board, or a limited statutory manager to manage student well-being, or a commissioner to run the school.
School Trustees Association head Ray Newport says fewer parents have been paying the donation in recent years. At some schools the percentage is as low as 20% and even at the highest-decile schools, many parents opt out.
Withholding school reports
School Boards cannot withhold school reports or leaving certificates until the Activity Fees, School Donation or any other charges have been paid as the National Education Guidelines state that:
Each Board, through the principal and staff, will be required to...report on student progress
Schools must also obey Section 5 of the Official Information Act 1982
The question whether any official information is to be made available, where that question arises under this Act, shall be determined, except where this Act otherwise expressly requires, in accordance with the purposes of this Act and the principle that the information shall be made available unless there is good reason for withholding it.
And Section 6, Principle 6(1) of the Privacy Act 1993
Where an agency holds personal information in such a way that it can readily be retrieved, the individual concerned shall be entitled...to have access to that information.
Surcharges and Withholding Privileges
On 29 May 2013, the NZ Herald reported that Avondale College would not allow a student who had not made a donation to attend the school ball.
on 2 June 2013, the NZ Herald also reported that Macleans College added surcharges to ball and graduation dinner tickets, sports, drama and dance activities, and fees for Cambridge International exams if a student had not made a donation. The NZ Herald also stated that Macleans College was being investigated and according to the Ministry of Education the practice was unlawful.
Ministry of Education spokeswoman Katrina Casey said that:
she would seek assurances from Macleans College that: - Any unlawful charging of fees will cease. - Students will not have privileges withheld because of non-payment of donations. - There will be no coercion to pay donations
Principal Byron Bentley was quoted as saying: "We beg to differ that these charges are unlawful - we had our lawyers look at this years ago".
On 30 January 2013, Seek.co.nz reported that:
In 2010, Karamu High School in Hastings was reprimanded after advising a parent that her daughter could not buy a ball ticket or order a school-leaver's jersey until donation money was paid. The threat was withdrawn after the ministry became involved.