Examples of donations and payments for schools and kura in the donations scheme
Learn more about what your school or kura can and cannot ask for as either a donation or a payment if you have opted in to the donations scheme.
Section 33 of the Education and Training Act 2020 states that every person who is not an international student is entitled to free enrolment and free education at any state school.
That person is entitled to free enrolment and free education for the period beginning on their fifth birthday and ending on 1 January after their 19th birthday.
This means that schools cannot charge domestic students a fee for:
- enrolment
- attendance
- the delivery of the curriculum.
Education and Training Act 2020 – NZ Legislation(external link)
Key |
Description |
X |
If your school or kura has opted in to the donations scheme, parents cannot be asked for a donation and do not have to pay. |
$ |
Parents must pay for this if they have agreed to purchase. |
D |
If your school has opted in to the donations scheme, parents can be asked for a donation but do not have to pay. |
Enrolment
Fees for enrolment are unlawful.
Enrolment is free and there can be no charge for anything associated with the enrolment process.
Item |
Category | Key |
Application fee |
Other | X |
Enrolment fee |
Other | X |
Out-of-zone ballot fee |
Other | X |
Bond |
Other | X |
ICT
Information and communication technologies (ICT) in schools and kura are a cost of delivering the curriculum. Students can be charged for non-curriculum use of ICT (including internet), but cannot be charged for curriculum-related use.
Schools and kura can ask students' whānau to purchase a device for their student to use at school (BYOD). Parents and whānau can choose to purchase (noting that some whānau may not be able to afford to purchase a device for their student).
Students must not be excluded from participating in courses or more general curriculum activity if their whānau is unwilling or unable to provide their own device.
All students must be allowed to use school or kura computers regardless of whether their whānau have contributed to the purchase and/or maintenance of the computers.
Enrolment in a computer studies course cannot be made conditional on whānau contributions.
Schools and kura may facilitate the purchase of non-compulsory hardware or software for whānau. This is a voluntary purchase of goods and services.
Item | Category | Key |
Access to school network |
Curriculum | X |
Use of hardware |
Curriculum | X |
Contribution towards devices such as tablets, smartphones, netbooks, laptops, chromebooks |
Curriculum | X |
Requiring students to provide software or pay for software licenses |
Curriculum | X |
Requiring students to provide calculators |
Curriculum | X |
Purchase of non-compulsory hardware or software |
Goods and services | $ |
Programmes and courses
Boards can purchase particular programmes for use in delivering the curriculum, but parents and whānau cannot be made to pay for them.
Schools and kura are expected to cater for students' specific learning needs and there should be no charge to cover the cost of tuition.
Boards may charge for optional programmes delivered during school breaks or outside school hours but cannot make parents and whānau enrol their children in these programmes.
Programmes such as Mathletics can be purchased for home use (rather than the school or kura using it to deliver the curriculum) but families and whānau must be able to choose whether to purchase or not.
Where schools and kura purchase tertiary-level courses as part of the school programme for senior students, parents and whānau cannot be charged for these courses. Where the school facilitates enrolment in a tertiary course for a student, the student will be subject to whatever fees are associated with the tertiary course.
Gifted Education programmes and out-of-school extra programmes (for example one-day schools) are optional – it should be made clear that participation is voluntary, and incurs a charge.
Item | Item Category | Key |
English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) | Curriculum |
X |
Reading recovery and learning support | Curriculum |
X |
High school 'subject fees' | Curriculum |
X |
Specialist units (for example, Montessori, Arrowsmith, Te Reo Māori, Samoan language) | Curriculum |
X |
Supplementary programmes (for example, Mathletics, Education Perfect) | Curriculum |
X |
STAR courses | Curriculum |
X |
Tertiary-level courses offered as part of the school programme | Curriculum |
X |
Tertiary course (dual enrolment at tertiary institution) | Goods and services |
$ |
Gifted Education programmes | Goods and services |
$ |
Resources and stationery
Parents and whānau are expected to supply stationery. If they choose to purchase stationery from the school or kura, payment can be enforced. However, parents and whānau are free to purchase stationery from any outlet. They cannot be compelled to buy stationery from the school or kura.
Schools are not expected to make significant profits from the sale of stationery. A small margin to cover the cost of sales is acceptable.
The per-student payment received by schools and kura that opt in to the donations scheme can be used to pay for things like stationery for students whose whānau cannot afford to provide it.
Textbooks are part of the cost of curriculum delivery. Students cannot be made to purchase or hire textbooks or pay a deposit to cover possible damage.
While textbooks should be provided free to students, students are expected to provide their own exercise books to work in. Workbooks can be sold but parents and whānau cannot be made to buy them. If a workbook is made compulsory, it must be provided by the school or kura.
Photocopying and printing that is associated with the delivery of the curriculum must be provided by the board.
Item | Category | Key |
Textbooks | Curriculum |
X |
Workbooks (compulsory) | Curriculum |
X |
Workbooks (optional, when parents have agreed to purchase) | Goods and services |
$ |
Photocopying/printing as part of core education programme (curriculum use) | Curriculum |
X |
Photocopying/printing (personal and not needed for core programme learning, extra-curricular use) | Goods and services |
$ |
Stationery (if parents decide to buy from school/kura stationery shop) | Goods and services |
$ |
Swimming
When a swimming session is part of the curriculum, students cannot be prevented from participating.
Item |
Category | Key |
Swimming as part of general curriculum (at school/kura or off site) |
Curriculum | X |
Swimming as voluntary activity (lunch time or after hours) |
Goods and services | $ |
Course materials
Parents and whānau cannot be charged for materials used in delivering the curriculum.
They can be charged for the cost of materials when they have agreed that the item can be taken home.
Parents and whānau should be informed of the choice to purchase so that they have notice of the likely cost. Schools and kura can require whānau to decide whether they want to purchase the take-home component when the student signs up for the course.
Food eaten as part of a food technology class is curriculum because students need to taste the food they prepare to ensure it is fit for consumption (sensory evaluation).
The arrangements between a technology centre school and a client school are formally agreed between the boards. The agreement between the boards should include details about how the cost of materials should be covered, including which board will charge parents for any take-home component they may voluntarily agree to purchase. Usually the client school will pay the technology centre school for the costs of delivering the technology curriculum, as the client school is funded (as part of its operations grant) to deliver the curriculum.
Item |
Category | Key |
Materials used as part of delivering core learning programme (curriculum) |
Curriculum | X |
Take-home component where parents have agreed to purchase (for example, a letterbox, an item of clothing) |
Goods and services | $ |
Music
Itinerant teachers of music are paid for by the Ministry. Students taught by itinerant teachers of music cannot be charged tuition fees.
Schools and kura may charge students for the hire of musical instruments used outside the delivery of the music curriculum or for extra-curricular tuition it sources for its students.
Item |
Category | Key |
Tuition from itinerant teachers of music |
N/A | X |
Tuition (course-related, but not from itinerant teachers of music) |
Curriculum | X |
Tuition (optional outside of general education programme, extra-curricular) |
Goods and services | $ |
Instrument hire (course delivery) |
Curriculum | X |
Instrument hire (optional, extra-curricular) |
Goods and services | $ |
Operational costs
Boards cannot ask parents and whānau for contributions to operational costs. These costs should be covered by the school’s operational funding.
Item | Category | Key |
Heating, lighting and water |
Operational | X |
Soap, hand sanitiser, tissues |
Operational | X |
Optional activities and extras
Boards may charge for sports trips or activities that are outside the school curriculum. Participation in these activities is optional and schools can enforce payment in order for a child to participate.
Any change should be made clear in advance. It should also be made clear that participation in these types of activities is voluntary.
Students cannot be prevented from accessing optional activities because their parents or whānau has not paid for other items. For example, schools and kura should not require whānau to pay for sports costs or a donation towards the school camp before they can buy a ticket to the school ball.
School magazines are an optional extra that students can choose to purchase if they wish to.
Item | Category | Key |
Visiting drama or music groups (non-curriculum) |
Goods and services | $ |
Weekend sports teams |
Goods and services | $ |
After-hours or lunchtime culture activities |
Goods and services | $ |
After-hours or lunchtime sports activities |
Goods and services | $ |
School sports teams | Goods and services | $ |
School ball | Goods and services |
$ |
Membership fees (for example, parent organisations, ex-student organisations) | Goods and services |
$ |
School magazine | Goods and services | $ |
Attendance dues for state-integrated schools and kura
State-integrated schools and kura are subject to the same law on free enrolment and free education as non-integrated schools and kura.
Proprietors can charge attendance dues up to the maximum amount approved by the Minister of Education, and may ask for donations for any purpose including matters related to the special character of the school.
Boards of state-integrated schools and kura that opt in to the donations scheme are subject to the same requirements as boards of non-integrated schools and kura that have opted in to the scheme.
Item |
Category | Key |
Attendance dues |
Compulsory | $ |
Uniforms
Schools and kura can require students to wear a uniform as part of its rules around conduct and appearance.
They are not expected to make significant profits from the sale of school uniforms. A small margin to cover the cost of sales is acceptable.
Uniforms are a good/service that parents and whānau can choose to buy from the school or kura or elsewhere. Even if the school or kura is the only seller of a new uniform, parents and whānau still have the option to purchase a second-hand uniform from somewhere else.
School uniforms and supplies — Commerce Commission(external link)
Item |
Category | Key |
School or kura uniform from a school or kura uniform shop |
Goods and services | $ |
Camps, trips and education outside the classroom
Boards of schools and kura who opt in to the scheme will still be able to ask parents and whānau for donations towards curriculum-related school or kura camps with an overnight component.
For the purposes of the donations scheme, a school camp is defined as any curriculum-related activity where students are expected to stay overnight as part of the activity.
Boards may seek donations towards the cost of these camps but cannot demand payment. Parents and whānau can choose to pay the donation in full, in part or not at all.
No student can be excluded from attending a camp or going on a trip that is part of curriculum delivery because of an inability or unwillingness to pay a donation toward the activity’s cost.
Item |
Category | Key |
Overnight camp as part of specific course (for example Year 12 Outdoor Education) |
Curriculum |
D |
Overnight geography field trip | Curriculum |
D |
Trip/visit as part of general curriculum | Curriculum |
X |
Charge/fee for an optional event (for example, weekend ski trip, extra-curricular) |
Goods and Services |
$ |
A forest hike as part of education outside the classroom (EOTC) |
Curriculum |
X |
Multi-day tramp | Curriculum |
D |
Overnight camp as part of general education/curriculum programme (for example, Year 9 orientation camp or Year 7 EOTC camp) |
Curriculum |
D |
Last reviewed: Has this been useful? Give us your feedback