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Advance Payment of Benefit : Contents

School or Kura Donations Scheme

The School Donations Scheme allows decile 1-7 state and state-integrated schools to opt-in to get $150 per domestic student (aged 5-19) per year if the school agrees not to ask parents/caregivers for donations (excluding school camps).

As donations are voluntary (parents/caregivers have a choice if they pay), no hardship assistance is available for clients whether their school has opted in or not (including decile 8–10 schools). If the parent/caregiver chooses not to pay the donation, the child cannot be stopped from attending an activity if it is part of the core learning programme (curriculum).

If any schools insist the donation must be paid (all schools), please tell the client to talk to the Ministry of Education so they can follow up with the school directly:

For more information see:

School camps

Schools/Kura can continue to ask for donations for overnight school camps if they are part of the core learning programme (curriculum), but they cannot insist on payment. This applies whether the school has opted-in to the donations scheme or not.

In these instances, no hardship assistance is available to clients regardless of whether their school has opted in or not (including decile 8 - 10 schools). If the parent/caregiver chooses not to pay the donation, the child cannot be stopped from attending an activity if it's part of the core learning programme (curriculum).

Parents/caregivers may still need assistance to cover specific items for school camp eg a raincoat or an additional pair of shoes. Hardship assistance can be considered in these circumstances if they qualify.

For more information see:

What parents can and cannot be asked to pay

The below table shows what parents/caregivers can and can't be asked to pay (note, this is not an exhaustive list).

Parent/caregiver must pay

Core goods/services

  • Stationery e.g. exercise books and pads, pens, pencils etc (there is no obligation to purchase this from the school)
  • School or Kura uniform
  • Exam fees (excluding NCEA)
  • Attendance dues - only for state-integrated schools or kura

Optional materials/resources

  • Optional workbooks
  • Purchase of non-compulsory hardware or software e.g. tablet, laptop
  • Purchase of school or kura magazine
  • School photos

Optional activities

  • Charge/fee for optional event e.g. weekend ski trip, school or kura ball
  • After-hours/lunchtime/weekend culture or sports activity e.g. music tuition and instrument hire, school sports team (including uniform fees).

Donation can be asked for, but payment is optional

Camps, Trips and Outside Education

  • Overnight camp or field trip as part of a specific course e.g. Year 12 Outdoor Education or Year 13 Geography trip
  • Overnight camp as part of the core learning programme (curriculum) e.g. Year 9 orientation camp or primary school year 7-8 camp.

School cannot request a donation. Free to family and whānau

Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

  • Access to school network
  • Use of school hardware
  • Contributions towards devices such as tablets, smartphones, netbooks, laptops, Chrome Books
  • Software or software licenses
  • Calculators

Programmes and Courses

  • English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)
  • Reading Recovery and Learning Support
  • High school 'subject fees'
  • Specialist units e.g. Montessori, Te Reo etc
  • Supplementary programmes e.g. Mathletics

Resources

  • Textbooks
  • Workbooks (compulsory)
  • Photocopying/printing as part of the Core Learning Programme (curriculum)

Swimming

  • Swimming classes as part of the core learning programme (curriculum - either onsite or offsite)

Checking if schools have opted in

Schools or Kura will decide each year whether to opt-in to the donations scheme or not.

Staff can check if a school has opted-in by:

Whether a school has opted-in or not will show in the 'Donations' information:

  • Opted-in: 'Donations should not be requested, unless for a school camp'
  • not opted-in (doesn't qualify): 'Donations may be requested'

For more information see:

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