No such thing as ‘free’ education
Gina Wood is expecting a big bill when her three kids, aged 8, 10 and 13, return to school this year. So far, she’s spent $75 on stationery for two children and will spend another $48 on the third. Then there’s the school contribution of $300. School camp will be another $300.
Extracurricular activities will add to the total, with about
$200 for sports, or more if Chase,
13, opts to pay soccer for a club. Guitar and piano lessons at school add $120.
Only Chase has a uniform, but will need three pairs of school socks, at $40, and a jacket, which costs $85.
‘‘We were lucky to be given some shirts from my stepmum, and apparently he can wear the same shorts from intermediate [school],’’ Wood says. ‘‘But if that’s not the case, two pairs of shorts will be $50.’’
Planning ahead had helped in the past, she said. ‘‘We did OK last year. We had an automatic payment of $10 going to each school, which covered the school fee and eventually covered the sports fee, and then we upped it at the end for the camp fee for the
10-year-old.
‘‘I think this year it’s going to be a lot harder as the 13-yearold’s camp is right at the start of the year so will need to be paid outright. I don’t know how people on low incomes do it.’’
Data from education fund provider ASG shows the cost of education in New Zealand has increased over the past 10 years.
The cost of a private-school education has increased 42 per cent, compared with wage growth of 22 per cent. A state education increased 13 per cent.
For a child born this year, ASG estimates private schooling would cost $360,074 over 13 years, while state-integrated education costs $102,730 and state education comes to $38,227.
The rate of increase has slowed from last year for state and state-integrated schools.
Parents of kids at state schools could expect to pay almost $30,000 in non-fee education costs over their
13 years in the system. At private schools, that rises to almost $55,000.
ASG chief operating officer Bruce Hawkins said school costs were a burden on families that were already facing rising costs of living.
‘‘A child’s education is one of the most significant investments a family could make. If you have three children, the cost of educating them in New Zealand’s private education system could top $1 million. That’s significantly more than the purchase price of the average family home in many parts of the country,’’ he says.
‘‘The index also debunks the myth [that] a state education is a free education, with the latest figures showing New Zealand families could spend on average
$38,227 per child on a so-called free education.’’
He said much of that cost was made up by ‘‘incidentals’’ – uniforms, text books and tech. More schools expected children to bring devices, or imposed technology charges on kids using iPads in class.
He encouraged parents to do research and make sure they understood what costs were involved with sending their children to a certain school.
Schools, for their part, should look to cut or absorb costs for parents where possible.
Wendy McCall’s son is starting as a new entrant this year and she faces a bill even for the most junior year. ‘‘His books came to $45; $20 for school fees;
$30 per polo shirt; $10 for a school hat; and $14 for two pairs of shorts. I don’t know how parents do it when they have more than one kid at school.’’
Tim Barnett, chief executive of the National Building Financial Capability Charitable Trust, which works to boost New Zealanders’ financial capability, said there were ways to make the experience easier.
‘‘Going back to school can be an expensive activity and put strain on the family budget.
‘‘Requirements for stationery and devices are ever increasing, and the pressures of having what’s on trend, particularly with social media, can result in difficult negotiation between parents and children,’’ he said.
He said parents could work out what items were essential and then focus on finding those at the most affordable price.
‘‘You might want to create a mini budget and work out how much you need to or are willing to spend on each type of item. Involve your children in this activity as well. It can be a great way to teach your children financial skills,’’ Barnett said.
‘‘When you are working through your list there are many ways to source material more affordably, such as buying secondhand school uniforms, [or] decorating stationery at home as a family activity instead of buying what is on trend.
‘‘Shop around for items like lunch boxes and bags. Sometimes investing in quality items can mean less needs to be spent in the long run. But if your child is prone to losing lunch boxes then buying them cheaply might be a better option.’’
He said Work and Income could offer a recoverable assistance payment or an advance benefit payment to help cover the cost of school uniforms and stationery.
‘‘Record how much you have spent and plan to have that money available for the next year, when school starts again.’’
Labour campaigned on a policy to offer an extra $150 per pupil to public schools that dropped the practice of asking
for ‘‘voluntary’’ donations. Education Minister Chris Hipkins said the proposal was working its way through Cabinet and would be considered for this year’s Budget. ‘‘This restricts me from making any further comment at this stage.’’