Parents hit by debt collectors

Schools’ actions on late fees queried

TASMANIA’S Education Minister says he does not approve of schools threatening to refer parents to debt collectors or exclude students from activities for late payment of school levies.

Parents have raised concerns that some government schools are taking a new aggressive approach to collecting school levies.

In State Parliament, Opposition Spokeswoman for Education Michelle O’Byrne read out a newsletter from a government school that said parents would be referred to debt collectors for late payments.

Another school told parents if their payments were overdue their children would be excluded from excursions and camps.

Mr Rockliff said concerns had been raised with him about levies and he was investigating schools’ approaches.

“It would not be the right thing to do to refer people who are unable to pay their fees to debt collectors,” he said.

“My expectation is that school communities and principals work with parents regarding school levies, which I know for some families are a significant part of their budget.”

Mr Rockliff said he did not want any students excluded from programs over late levies.

“That is my very clear and firm view,” he said.

Lisa Gillard, vice president of parents’ group the Tasmanian Association of State School Organisations, said schools were taking a new hard line.

Ms Gillard said she had received a letter from her children’s school saying she would be referred to a debt collector if her levies were not paid.

She said her levies were $1000 for two children, including $50 per child for an iPad.

“If you didn’t pay the $50 for your iPad the iPad was going to be withheld,” she said. “I have never seen this.” Ms Gillard said her attempt to negotiate a payment plan was met with an “aggressive” response from the school.

“The payment plan was already filled out to the amount the school wanted you to pay,” she said.

Ms Gillard said this was the first year she had paid late, and the elimination of the Federal Government Schoolkids bonus had affected many parents’ ability to pay.