[vandyb]

Hi, does anyone know if you actually pay to go to state school and what the charges roughly are. I have seen various threads which say some people pay $55 dollars a month. I am just wanting to get a clearer picture on the school system.

Thanks :D

[wilson182]

You have to pay school fees, (sometimes known as a school contribution), I think these vary according to the school and area. I think the fees are higher in schools in Auckland for example than Christchurch. For my Daughters junior school I pay $93 per year. You can if you choose (and considering you have two kids it may be an option) to pay monthly or however best suits your budget. You also have to buy their school writing books and stationery. Sometimes the books are made up as packs by the school and this is included in the school fees, in which case you just have to buy the stationery (pens, glue sticks, scissors etc)
Hope this helps

[mechidna]

I think the fees for my daughter's high school (college) is about $135 for the year. Not too bad, but that doesn't cover sports, etc. Then there's the stationary and the large cost of uniforms. It's really not that bad since the uniforms are unlikely to change.

Michele

[katandbob]

I think the fees for my daughter's high school (college) is about $135 for the year. Not too bad, but that doesn't cover sports, etc. Then there's the stationary and the large cost of uniforms. It's really not that bad since the uniforms are unlikely to change.

Michele

how old is your daughter...do they have uniforms for most colleges?

my youngest will have done his GCSE's and be wanting to do either further ed or an apprenticeship....the one thing he was looking forward to was not having to wear a uniform....

does every College charge fees......or are theres some that are free like in the UK?

Kat

[mechidna]

how old is your daughter...do they have uniforms for most colleges?

my youngest will have done his GCSE's and be wanting to do either further ed or an apprenticeship....the one thing he was looking forward to was not having to wear a uniform....

does every College charge fees......or are theres some that are free like in the UK?

Kat

My daughter is 12, so she just started Year 9. They moved her up a grade when we enrolled her. I'm still trying to figure out the school system. They don't seem to have text books. They use workbooks, which I also had to pay for ($40 for Term 1). I'm pretty sure that all schools have a charge of some form. The public schools are substantially cheaper than the private ones. To my knowledge all or most schools here require a uniform up to Year 13. I could be wrong; it happens a lot.

Michele

[Carol]

Actually there is no such thing as a "fee" in primary schools because technically in a state school the education is "free"

However.......

Schools do need help with running costs and so they ask for a "donation" which is entirely voluntary.
Our school has a take up of school donations of around 80% which I gather is very good.

Uniforms depend entirely upon the school you enrol at.
Some have them some don't.
It is up to the school.

[ruthyroo]

Just to clarify for Kat... lots of secondary schools / high schools here in NZ are known as Colleges... and the equivalent of UK Colleges are known as Polytechnics...clear as mud!

If your son is looking at further ed or vocational training, and he will be going to a Polytech rather than back to school, he won't have to wear a uniform. The polytechs are much as they are in the UK (or they were before they all became 'Universities' in 1992!) - catering for further, adult and community education, lots of vocational courses etc.

HTH

[vandyb]

Hi everyone, thanks for all your responses that has really helped.