School gets tough on debt

By DENISE PIPER - Whangarei Leader

Whangarei students could be made to learn in a hall or refused entry to certain subjects if parents do not pay compulsory course
fees.

With schools starting back this week local high schools are considering ways to recover some of the money owed to them from last year.

Whangarei Boys High School headmaster Al Kirk says about $10,000 is owed from last year.

Unlike the school donation which is voluntary, course fees are compulsory for subjects with significant take-home items, like technology or photography.

The school plans to single out students who haven’t paid, teaching them in a hall until the debt is settled.

The plan has been met with condemnation from the Education Ministry.

Mr Kirk says parents who are genuinely unable to pay the fees can talk to the school about payment options.

A budget group is available to give parents advice, he says.

But Mr Kirk believes the problem is more from parents who refuse to pay because they believe education should be free.

High school education has not been free since the 1960s, he says.

"The parents who can’t pay because of their financial situation make every effort to make it work because they appreciate what education can do for their kids," he says.

The school used the same tactic in 2008 and 90 to 98 percent of parents paid straight away, he says.

"Going by last time it gets sorted pretty quick."

Ministry regional education deputy secretary Rawiri Brell says threatening to not let students into standard classrooms is unacceptable.

"A school is not allowed to prevent a student gaining access to an education as a method of attempting to collect fees, which is a totally unrelated matter and is governed by a very clear set of guidelines," he says.

"It is disappointing that a school has attempted to force parents to pay socalled ‘fees’ by such an action."

Mr Brell says when schools are owed legitimate charges by parents there are various methods of encouraging payment, such as allowing payments to be made over time.

"As a last resort, a school can use an outside agency to assist in recovering money owed," he says.

But Mr Kirk says parents are sent numerous reminders and it would not be worthwhile using a debt collection agency for the small amount needed from each family.

"We believe that we have done all that we can in terms of trying to get this money honourably from parents," he says.

"It's not fair on the parents who do the right thing because effectively they're subsidising the ones who don't."

Other local high schools understand the frustration felt by Mr Kirk.

Kamo High School principal Bernie Taffs says parents are offered the option of weekly or fortnightly payments.

But there are a range of reasons why parents do not pay, he says.

Kamo High School is considering not allowing a student to continue in a subject if the fees from the year before have not been paid.

"It's a big issue that needs to be critically and carefully addressed," says Mr Taffs. "We don't do that lightly."