Level playing field bid for school levies

Poorer Tasmanian families are being hit too hard on costs, says Nigel Jones

THE media attention relating to parents’ concerns around the great levy divide regarding state school levies and charges featured in the Mercury has created worthwhile discussion.

The start of the 2020 school year has started with plenty of concerns about escalating school education costs for parents and carers. Many parents have gone to politicians’ Facebook pages and talkback radio to openly express their financial frustration at the great inequity of their child’s levies and school uniform costs.

Education Department figures show 36 per cent of parents are eligible for the student assistance scheme (STAS). State schools have a higher proportion of students from a low socio-economic background, 30.4 per cent, compared to Catholic and independent schools.

There is a higher ratio of students with disabilities, 19.1 per cent, compared to 16.9 per cent in Catholic and independent schools.

These families still have a range of school costs that can cause severe financial pressures.

What about low income working families who don’t qualify for STAS? According to agencies like the No Interest Loans Scheme, Anglicare, Salvation Army and The Smith Family, parents are racking up debt to pay for their child’s levies, uniforms, plus school trips and electronic devices.

According to the latest figures from the department, more than $300,000 at the end of 2018 was still outstanding in school fees.

While Tasmanian parents are feeling the pinch, are they worse off than other public education families in Australia? The Productivity Report just released shows Tasmania is one of the hardest hit regions socio-economically in Australia, with high unemployment and an ageing population.

I looked at other states and was very interested in the findings. Victoria, NSW, Queensland and Western Australia have so-called free education where they have voluntary contributions in various forms, but parents still have the cost of books and uniforms, school trips and other associated costs. In NSW a free public primary school education can cost parents $1300 to $2800 a year.

Western Australia has a voluntary cap of $60 per primary student, capped at $120 for a family of three children.

Parents pay for extras like books, excursions and swimming. High school fees are capped at $235 plus books, excursions and other relative costs as charged by the school.

Tasmanian levies and charges form part of the revenue of the school. Some school policies are stating levies and charges will not be refunded unless under exceptional circumstances.

Under the New Tasmanian Education Act 2016, no student will be excluded from educational instruction due to non-payment of levies and charges.

The Education Minister said the department was reviewing stage 2 of the levies and charges and that will put it out for public consultation some time this year.

Consultation must include a broad school community consultation through school associations and community forums.

While our levies and charges system needs a review, the department and governments need to make sure all steps are taken to ensure parents and carers, plus students, are not pushed to suffering mental health issues over unpaid school fees.

Hobart’s Nigel Jones is president of the Tasmanian Association of State School Organisations, TASSO. He has 30 years’ involvement in state and private school parent organisations.

PARENTS ARE RACKING UP DEBT TO PAY FOR THEIR CHILD’S LEVIES, UNIFORMS, PLUS SCHOOL TRIPS AND ELECTRONIC DEVICES.