New data has revealed that about a third of the total funds contributed by parents to public schools last year was raised by just 50 of the state’s 2200 schools.
Selective school Sydney Boys High is the biggest beneficiary of the funding making almost a $1 million from parent payments last year,followed by Conservatorium High School and North Sydney Boys High School which both took in more than $800,000.
In total,NSW public schools raised $64.4 million in voluntary school contributions and subject fees in 2021 and $63 million in 2020. It was a significant drop from the $73.1 million donated in 2019,which the NSW Education Department has attributed to the financial strain of the COVID-19 pandemic,floods and bushfires.
NSW Secondary Principals’ Council president Craig Petersen said any fall in funding usually meant the most disadvantaged schools became more disadvantaged.
“The biggest impact comes with the subject-specific fees that schools charged,” he said. “If people can’t or won’t pay the subject fees,what it means is that opportunities that can be provided to students are reduced.”
Sydney Boys High School,Conservatorium High School and North Sydney Boys High School topped the list of highest earners from parent contributions.Supplied
Principals at NSW public schools can request voluntary school contributions as well as asking for elective subject fees.
The education department’s policy states parents should not feel pressured to pay the school contributions,while those who are unable to pay for elective subjects due to financial hardship may be eligible for assistance.
NSW Education Department data shows the downturn in funding hit regional and outer suburban schools particularly hard,but it was also felt in many inner-city schools.
Among the schools to suffer a drop in funds was Blacktown North Public School,which raised $16,866 in 2019 but only $200 in 2021. Similarly,Blacktown South Public School raised $20,386 in 2019 but only $300 in 2021.
On Sydney’s north shore,Mosman Public School raised $114,984 in 2019 but only $25,831 in 2021.
The voluntary contribution policy has attracted criticism for exacerbating disadvantage,with selective schools and schools in wealthier suburbs typically gaining more funds than others.
Petersen said that because public schools were not funded to the minimum school resource standard – the funding benchmark born out of the Gonski reforms – they were disadvantaged when it came to providing a full range of educational opportunities.
“We rely on those voluntary contributions,” he said.
Economist Trevor Cobbold,who convenes the Save Our Schools public education advocacy group,said it was almost always the case that schools with a large proportion of students from advantaged backgrounds raised the most money.
He suggested that a portion of parents’ contributions could go into a broader pool of money to be more fairly distributed among the state’s schools.
“But the bottom line is that it’s got to be strictly regulated and monitored to ensure that parents understand that it’s purely voluntary and they’re not to be seen as fees,” he said.
Cobbold said while there was a place for parental contributions in public schools,parents should never be charged fees for certain subjects.
Petersen said ideally,public schools would not have to ask for parental contributions if they were adequately funded.
“It would be good to get to a position where there was a greater level of equity and more even playing field across all schools so we didn’t have to have the discussion,” he said.
An Education Department spokesman said the decision on whether to pay school contributions was one for parents.
“There has been an overall decline in voluntary school contributions given a challenging period for many schools and communities with the impacts of COVID-19,floods and bushfires,particularly in 2020 and 2021,” he said.
The department said no student was denied the opportunity to participate in the syllabus because of the non-payment of voluntary contributions.
President of P&C Federation NSW Natalie Walker said while it was important to allow families to provide voluntary contributions,certain school communities could benefit more than others from the process.
“Some parents do feel pressured,and many parents do not realise they are voluntary due to how it is communicated. Many families receive an invoice,which leaves them with the impression that it is a compulsory fee,” she said.
“We have longstanding concerns that consultation around the voluntary school contribution is not done with school communities,primarily with their local P&C,as NSW Education Department policy requires.”
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