School fees
This section lets you know about what schools can and can’t charge you.
School fees Is school free? What is the difference between fees and donations? Do I have to pay for school trips and other activities? Can my school refuse to provide reports if I do not pay my fees or donations? Can my school refuse to provide a leaving letter/certificate because I have not paid my fees or made a donation Can the school stop me from attending the school ball because I have not paid my school fees? What are Attendance Dues? I am an international student. Do I have to pay school fees? Can unpaid school fees be passed to Debt Collectors? Can I get help to pay for my transport to and from school?
This section lets you know about what schools can and can’t charge you.
Yes, if you’re a New Zealand citizen or resident between the ages of 5 and 19 years old, you have the right to free education at your local public school. However, there may still be fees you will have to pay.
Most private or integrated schools, generally charge a compulsory fee to attend those schools.
Public schools can only charge fees for things that are not taught or covered as part of the core curriculum, or for items that students take home and keep. Some examples of things public schools can charge fees for are:
Fees generally can’t be charged for photocopying, except in exceptional circumstances. While students’ families have to pay school fees, donations are voluntary payments to support the running of the school and provide additional services for learners. Even if a school strongly suggests that families should make donations, families can always choose whether they make donations.
If trips are part of a school’s core education curriculum (for example, if students are assessed for information gained from attending the school trip), the school cannot legally charge compulsory fees or stop a student from attending because they have not paid.
However, when a trip or activity is not part of a school’s core education curriculum or is optional, the school can legally require students or their caregivers to pay a fee for it. If a student does not pay a fee for an activity that happens during school time, the school must provide them with other activities and supervision during the activity.
Most schools will try to make sure that students are not left out during trips and activities, and might help students who are struggling to pay any fees. If you cannot afford to pay a fee, you can ask your school whether they can help out.
Public and integrated schools are legally required to report on individual students’ achievement. Students enrolled in Years 1 to 8 should have their progress reported on at least twice each year. A school cannot refuse to provide reports because there are unpaid fees or donations.
However, some schools have argued that any additional reports are a ‘benefit’ offered by the school and do not have to be provided if fees or donations remain unpaid. Because courts have not considered this argument, it is unclear whether it is true
A leaving certificate/letter is not essential to students’ education, so schools might be able to refuse to provide one if your fees or a donation aren’t paid. However, if you have a disagreement, you should speak to the principal or the board of trustees
Some principals say that school balls have no educational purpose and are a privilege, so they have the right to refuse students attending. Because courts have not considered this argument, it is unclear whether it is true. However, if the “fees” required are actually donations, students should not be stopped from attending the school ball because donations should be voluntary. Many students contact us with this question a few days before the ball, but by that stage it is hard for us to help. If you think there might be an issue, ask your parents/caregivers to speak to the school immediately.
Attendance dues are a compulsory yearly fee for integrated schools only. The attendance dues assist with the costs of running the school. If you or your caregivers do not pay attendance dues, the school can suspend you and remove you from the school roll. They may also get a debt collection agency to pursue your parents for the money owed.
State or public schools do not have “attendance dues”, and cannot call donations “attendance dues”.
If you are an international student, you probably will not meet the residency requirements that give you the right to a free education in New Zealand. If this is your situation then, yes, you will have to pay school fees. Before choosing a school, you should find out exactly what is included in each school’s fee. There will also be other living costs involved for you as an international student.
If what you ‘owe’ is a fee (like sports fees, materials costs or attendance dues), your school might pass the fee on to a debt collector to obtain payment from your parents. Because donations are voluntary, unpaid donations are not a debt, so these cannot be passed onto debt collectors.
Usually, your parent(s)/caregiver(s) need to pay any costs to get you to and from school. However, students who go to a public or integrated school might, in some limited circumstances, be able to get school transport assistance. You should speak to your school to find out more.
If your family does not qualify for school transport assistance, you can contact Work and Income New Zealand (WINZ) to ask whether they might be able to support you to cover transport costs to and from school.