[stephenandjulie]

Hi all
I was reading information on primary schools this morning, and was suprised to to see fees for international students.

Does anyone know about school fees and who pays them?

Steve

[Trigirl]

for schools a "domestic student" includes the child of anyone with a residence permit or work permit. everyone else pays international fees (ie if you are here on a visitors permit or whatever)

once they go to uni the definition changes so that you have to have a residence permit or they are counted as international. so if you are here on a work permit your child(?) pays international fees at uni.

[gil]

Hi Steve,
School fees: hmmm! Well, international students pay them see http://www.emigratenz.org/forum/showthread.php?p=118752&highlight=international+students#post118752
If you have PR or a student visa, you don't pay "fees" as such, but all schools ask a "contribution" for each student. This is where the Decile Number fits in: the government tops up schools who are Decile 1, often with significant amounts like $half a million; the govt contribution decreases proportionately, until you get to Decile 10 schools, where there is minimal govt top up and a healthy whack requested from parents. I think we have paid $450 for College this term, $288 for intermediate school and about $200 for primary. I may be wrong, but I think that's termly. (PLEASE someone feel free to correct me if that is per year!!)
So, decile ratings only reflect the perceived socio-economic rating of the area the school is zoned for. It has nothing to do with quality of school.

Hope that helps,

Gil

[Sam B]

Gil - I had to pay termly fees for my 2 girls in a decile 9 school, but it was only $100 each, so it must be much more pricey in Auckland maybe??

[Oregonkiwi]

Here's an article about school fees with comparisons of different Auckland schools:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/search/story.cfm?storyid=0004B6F7-6300-15D5-85A083027AF1010E

[veronica]

there are a lot of international students who come to study in NZ from japan and other (particularly asian) countries. These children pay for the schooling.

[gil]

Gil - I had to pay termly fees for my 2 girls in a decile 9 school, but it was only $100 each, so it must be much more pricey in Auckland maybe??

Good point Sam, I have no idea if the fees would be higher because it's AKL schools. These three schools are all decile 10, which might account for it? When you add on uniforms, stationery etc (and camp, which our son is going to the week after next @ $145 per child; mind you, I am going as a parent helper @ $0) it certainly ain't cheap! And these are state schools. I think annual fees at private schools are in the order of $15K per child, so perhaps ours aren't so bad after all...

Gil

[wilson182]

Our school "donations" here in Christchurch are yearly. I think I paid about $90 for my daughters primary school last year (havent had the bill for this year yet). We have to pay $20 on the first day and that covers their books, we just had to buy pens/pencils etc.