Outlines when schools and other instructional institutions can charge for activities not associated with instruction, administration, and facilities.
Statement of intent
State schools provide free instruction, administration and facilities to students enrolled at State schools who are Australian citizens or permanent residents or children of Australian citizens or permanent residents.
State schools are permitted to charge students enrolled at State schools who are Australian citizens or permanent residents or children of Australian citizens or permanent residents fees under certain circumstances.
State schools are able to:
Fees for State school students cannot be charged for costs associated with administration, instruction and facilities.
Fee charging is not to restrict the educational services of a school.
Students cannot be educationally disadvantaged by the charging of fees.
Students will continue to be provided an education even if parents/caregivers do not make a voluntary contribution.
All school fees except for commercial activities are to be cost recovery only.
Fees for commercial activities are to be at least cost recovery.
The methodology for calculating fees is to be open and transparent.
The secondary school Textbook and Resource Allowance may be used to offset part of the school fees/voluntary contributions where a Text and Resource Allowance Scheme is operated.
Fees are only to be directed to the purposes for which they are charged.
Fees or part thereof can be waived or refunded.
Persons can be exempted from payment of fees.
Responsibilities
Principals: The following responsibilities relate to students who are Australian citizens or permanent residents or children of permanent residents.
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Determine what educational services and non-educational services are to be chargable via a
fee or a voluntary contribution.
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Determine the fee based on the cost structure of the activity and the capacity of parents/caregivers to pay, using appropriate costing methodology.
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Determine the decision-making parameters for waiving/reducing or refunding the fee for students and parents in cases of genuine financial hardship, and the action to be taken for non-payment of fees and communication of that action to the community.
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Obtain endorsement from Parents' & Citizens' Association for:
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In the absence of Parents & Citizens' Association, the principal's supervisor is to endorse any fee or contribution.
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Identify these fees and voluntary contributions in enrolment packages.
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Clearly detail to the school community the activities for which fees and voluntary contributions are to apply on an annual basis.
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Offset the cost of the fees/voluntary contributions charged to parents/caregivers of secondary students with the Textbook and Resource Allowance where a Text and Resource Scheme operates.
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Report annually to the school community through the reporting framework on the use of the fee/contribution.
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Conduct an annual review of costings.
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Continue to provide the instruction to a student even if the parent/caregiver does not make a voluntary contribution or pay fees for textbooks and resources.
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Contact Education Queensland International (EQI) to check on those students or children of parents/caregivers who are not Australian citizens or permanent residents to determine if a fee can be charged.
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Develops a
specialised program to operate at the school, with the Executive Director (Schools) and the Regional Finance Manager and seek support from the Regional Executive Director.
The following responsibilities relate to Australian citizens or permanent residents or children of permanent residents.
- Endorse:
- The establishment on any activity which attracts fees and charges;
- The fees and voluntary contributions rates; and
- The decision-making parameters for waivers and refunds for:
- textbook and resource schemes,
- non-State school students enrolled in their school,
- enrolment processing fee,
- an educational service purchased from a provider other than a State school.
The following responsibilities relate to Australian citizens or permanent residents or children of permanent residents.
- May appeal against a decision on fee waiver/refund made by a principal to:
- Executive Director (Schools) for school services listed above; or
- Regional Executive Director for gazetted specialised programs.
The following responsibilities relate to Australian citizens or permanent residents or children of permanent residents.
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Makes determinations on appeals by parents/caregivers against decisions on
fee waiver/refund of gazetted specialised program fees made by the principal within a reasonable time of receipt of application.
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Regional Finace Managers: Executive Director, Strategic Resource Management Branch: Director-General: Guidelines
Students who are at risk of disengaging from learning (e.g. independent students) and students of parents/caregivers experiencing financial hardship should not be disadvantaged through the imposition of school fees. Schools are to take this into consideration when developing their policies on fee waivers.
Students are not to be disadvantaged by the school not providing student ID cards if the fee has not been paid, as this restricts access to learning i.e. subsidised transport and the school library services, depending on school practices.
Actions to collect school fees that have not been paid should not be seen as punishment or as a behaviour management tool.
Contacts
For information on state education fees, contact:
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For information on state education fees, contact:
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