Our school sends home a letter asking for a donation and then adds extra charges for stationery, camp and activities. Some parents say it is compulsory if you want your child to take part. What is optional and what can the school require?
For state and state-integrated schools that take part in the Ministry's donations scheme, the school receives extra funding and agrees not to charge donations, while other schools may ask for voluntary donations. Voluntary donations cannot be made compulsory, and a child cannot be excluded or penalised because a family does not pay. State schools must provide free education to domestic students, but they may charge for optional activities, such as camps and trips, or for consumable items where the parent chose the option, such as a specific stationery pack, as long as the charges are genuinely optional and the school offers a free alternative. Ask the school for the breakdown, and if you are unhappy, complain to the board and then the Ministry.
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