Parents desperate as schools impose unfair fees

Victorian parents are flooding community service organisations desperate for help to meet excessive return-to-school costs.

Victorian Council of Social Service (VCOSS) CEO Emma King said 2019 is shaping up as one of the worst years in recent memory.

“One community agency in Narre Warren has processed 62 families for assistance since November. It’s seeing 10 new families each day,” she said.

Ms King said on top of the standard costs of textbooks, uniforms and shoes, schools were increasingly slugging families with bogus ‘compulsory costs’.

“Parents who are already struggling to make ends meet are being asked to pay upfront for extra ‘essential’ fees to cover items like locker keys and I.T licences,” she said.

“When you factor in schools asking students to ‘bring their own’ digital devices, redesigned uniforms as well as the costs of school sport, camps and class excursions, this quickly adds up.

“The hidden costs of sending your child to a so-called free government primary or secondary school in Melbourne costs between $3400 and $5100 each year.”

Narre Warren South P-12 College principal Rob Duncan said their college fee structure is in line with DET policy.

“Our families, exclusive of uniform and books would pay no more than $100 for the year for curriculum related items,” Mr Duncan said.

“Unless they are in a specialist program or study which requires resourcing over and above that normally provided, such as our Visual Arts and Multi Media program.

“We understand the financial hardship many of our families experience and state school’s relief provides assistance to many of these families, particularly for books and uniform.”

Mr Duncan said the college believes that education needs to be accessible and affordable for every student.

VCOSS is urging the Victorian Government to do three things to help families in need:

1. Make public transport free for all school students so they can afford to get to school.\

2. Establish a subsidy scheme to help families experiencing disadvantage pay for sport or recreation.

3. Provide secure funding to the State Schools’ Relief organisation and top-up funding for the Camps, Sports and Excursion Fund, programs that provide much-needed financial assistance. Existing funding for both will run out at the end of 2019.