The department recognises that parents have high expectations for their children and believe that access to education opportunities is critical for their children’s prospects. Schools will have regard to the following when setting and collecting levies and charges:
- The right of every student to have equitable access to the full curriculum and range of learning opportunities necessary for their education, regardless of the financial circumstances of their family.
- Schools will take account of the financial constraints on families by considering the impact of the cost of school items and activities; communicating costs clearly and early so families can plan; offering flexible, sensitive and negotiated payment options.
- Financial arrangements are a matter for the school and the parent/carer and should not be negotiated through children.
- Parents/carers and students have the right to feel that they are treated sensitively and with respect, and should neither perceive nor experience direct or indirect discrimination on the basis of their ability to pay.
- Levies and charges must be transparent and clearly aligned to the costs involved. The schedule of levies and charges must be approved by the School Association, or other parent body where an association does not exist, following a structured consultation process with the school community.
These five principles apply in relation to all students in all Government schools, special schools and colleges.
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The charging of levies has been integral to the operation of Tasmanian Government Schools since the 19th Century. Levies are the established means whereby parents/carers contribute towards the cost of their children’s education.
The authority to levy charges in a State school is provided under Section 41 of the Education Act 1994.
Contributions made by parents/carers represent only a very small proportion, under two per cent, of the total cost of operating government schools in Tasmania. However, at an individual school level student levies are an important resource. The department has a high expectation that those parents with the capacity to pay levies will do so, and it will take reasonable action to recover money where payments remain outstanding.
In recognition of the impact of levies on low-income families, schools offer flexible and negotiated payment options to assist parents to budget for this cost. In addition, eligible parents/carers can also apply for financial assistance through the department’s Student Assistance Scheme (STAS).
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This policy is based on the premise that each student will undertake an education program in the course of a year made up of a selection of required and elective programs.
Schools also fulfil an important role in allowing students access to a range of other activities beyond the scope of the education program.
The concept of the education program and other activities underpin the structure of this policy on levies and other charges.
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A levy is a financial contribution by parents/carers relating to the costs associated with each student’s participation in their education program. Levy items are typically consumables that the student uses during the school year such as stationery, photocopying and technology consumables such as computer printing paper; or the costs of services such as bus hire and entry fees that are essential to delivery of the education program.
The provision of levy funded items e.g. stationery packs, to all students undertaking the same program must be of equal value regardless of whether they are eligible for the Student Assistance Scheme (STAS) or not.
In relation to programs with high consumable costs e.g. MDT, Home Economics and other technology subjects, the levy must provide that materials supplied to all students participating will be of equal value and adequate to complete the requirements of the course and ensure a quality learning experience. Materials over and above this can be chargeable. By way of example: where students are designing and making something within a design brief, the value of alternative combinations of materials should be the same for each student. The materials available to all students must enable them to demonstrate understanding to the highest level to which they are capable. If some students elect to make higher cost items by using different materials, then the additional cost would be chargeable.
Levies cannot be used to charge for teacher salaries, or for the cost of relief teachers, either directly or indirectly. Levies are not a source of general revenue and cannot be raised to supplement areas of school funding such as building maintenance, purchase of equipment or energy costs.
Examples of items and services for which a levy can be charged are listed in Schedule 1.
Students assessed as eligible for the Student Assistance Scheme (STAS) are not required to pay levies.
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Schools may charge for additional consumables over and above that supplied as the amount considered appropriate for the delivery of the education program. Examples of this would include replacement stationery items; extra ICT printing i.e. over and above the normal printing allowance for that course; and additional materials for high cost programs as described in section 4 of this policy.
Schools may charge for activities that are beyond the scope of the student’s education program. Sport is one area with a wide diversity of opportunity for participation in activities extending well beyond the school’s normal health and physical education (HPE) program often involving external organisations. Schools may apply a charge for specific sporting activities where these are beyond the scope of the school’s HPE program.
Examples of items for which a charge can be made are listed in Schedule 2.
Students assessed as eligible for the Student Assistance Scheme (STAS) may be required to pay for other charges consistent with school policy.
Where other charges are applied school policy must be developed to take account of issues of:
- Inclusiveness;
- Cost;
- Good notice periods and payment options;
- Ensuring that the level of participation across all the school is appropriate; and
- The principles of consultation and formal approval set out in Principle 1(v.)
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Where an item does not appear on the schedule of “examples of levies” or “examples of other charges”, in order to determine its classification schools must have regard to the following criteria.
- Is the item integral to the education program? If yes, then it would be leviable.
- Would it be expected that all students in that year, or that course, participate? If yes, then it would be leviable.
- Would the majority of students in that year, or that course, be assessed on the basis of that activity? If yes, then it would be leviable.
- Is the activity a standard component of the school’s curriculum with an expectation that all students will participate? If yes, then it would be leviable.
- Would a decision to charge for the item or activity be defensible on equity and inclusion grounds?
No one criterion in itself should necessarily determine the classification but a combination of factors grounded in a fair notion of equity, education value and inclusion.
Camps are an example of an activity that would be subject to assessment under these criteria.
If a grade 7 camp is held at the start of the school year to assist students with the transition from primary to secondary school, this would be clearly a levy activity (and hence STAS students would not be charged).
If the school offers a weekend ski trip to Ben Lomond for 20 students from across the school, then it is likely that this could be a chargeable activity (and hence STAS students would pay if they participate).
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In recognition of the impact of levies on low-income families, the department offers financial assistance to eligible parents/carers through its Student Assistance Scheme (STAS). Students assessed as eligible for STAS are exempted from paying school levies, however STAS students may still be required to pay other charges.
STAS procedures, eligibility and per capita rates are detailed in the department’s STAS Guidelines.
Schools are provided with assistance for STAS students in the following ways. A STAS Per-Capita grant and a Discretionary Levy Compensation grant are provided in the Schools Resource Package (SRP). In addition, STAS student numbers are used to calculate an Educational Needs Index (ENI) for each school. The ENI is used to allocate resources under a number of programs, including teacher staffing and the General Support and Maintenance Allocations in the SRP.
Schools who require more information in relation to these funding arrangements should contact the Manager (Finance & Resources) on (03) 6233 7087.
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The department expects that school philosophies and approaches to levy setting will comply with the spirit of the principles outlined in section 1 of this policy.
This policy is in part a response to issues raised in the Anglicare Report "Two Classes in One Room". These issues should be give close consideration by schools in setting and administering policies relating to levies and other charges.
The ongoing development of partnership agreements between schools and their communities provides opportunities for the parent community to have increasing involvement in school decision making processes, including those associated with school levies. In addition, School Associations are empowered, under Section 31(a) of the Education Act 1994, to “approve the school plan and budget”, of which levies are an integrated and very visible element. Where a school association does not exist, consultation with the school community should occur. Care should be taken to ensure that the views of low income parents are represented in any consultative process.
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Feedback from parents and schools and analysis of existing school practices indicates that the following are some “Best Practice” approaches to the setting of levies and other charges. All schools are expected to adopt similar school levy policies and practices within the spirit and intent of the levy principles.
- The establishment of school budgets takes account of all program costs, with particular attention to those costs that will flow on to parents through the levy and other charges structure.
- The school consciously works to match its levy and other charges policy to community expectations, with recognition of the financial pressures on all families and, in particular, the needs of students from financially disadvantaged families, whether they be eligible for STAS or not.
- Levy and other charges are advertised as early as possible in Term 3 so that parents have plenty of time to plan for the following year.
- The structure of the school’s levies and other charges, and the way these are communicated should be clear and simple – a school levy information sheet should provide simple and concise explanations of levies and of other charges.
- The structure of the schools levies and other charges should minimise the number of elements that are costed separately and should minimise the number of different treatments that apply to elements of the structure.
- The information sheet should include unambiguous explanations as to any specific costs that STAS students may be responsible for and provide guidance for STAS parents who may feel they are unable to meet these costs.
- Costs that were traditionally “pay as you go” i.e. excursions, performances, foods etc need to be known up front, wherever practicable, and with the option to pay up front or on an instalment basis consistent with the school policy.
- The school adheres to Goods and Services Tax (GST) requirements. It should be noted that the various payment options used to collect the levy or charge, for example progressive payments throughout the year, do not alter the GST impact on the specific levy or charge item. The department's Business Support Service is responsible for the provision of GST advice to schools.
- The department conducts periodic surveys of schools in relation to levy charges in order to establish benchmarks against which schools and their communities should assess their own levy structure and costs.
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The department expects that school philosophies and approaches to levy collection will comply with the spirit of the levy principles outlined in section 1 of this policy.
Feedback from parents and schools indicates that the following are “Best Practice” approaches to the collection of levies and other charges. All schools are expected to adopt similar school level policies and practices within the spirit and intent of the levy principles.
- Instalment payments plans, and other flexible options, are explicitly offered and the capacity to negotiate payments in private is clearly available.
- Advice on Government assistance, in particular STAS, is circulated widely.
- Where for some good reason notice of cost can not be given in Term 3 for the following year, parents/carers receive at least three months notice for more expensive activities e.g. camps and otherwise at least one month’s notice e.g. unanticipated excursion. It is important for schools to note that if a levy item (e.g. excursion costs relating to the education program) is not known up front it is still a “levy” activity and STAS students are not to be charged.
- Where STAS has been applied for, but not yet approved, levy items are still issued and an “informal contract” agreed between the school and the parent/carer to pay if the STAS application is not successful.
- The offering of instalment options combined with sufficient notice periods should assist to minimise the level of outstanding levies. For those parents/carers who are expected to pay levies, but who have not, referral to collection agencies is a last resort. It should only be used in circumstances where the school has exhausted all other reasonable options to collect outstanding fees, and the school believes that the parent/carer genuinely has the capacity to pay. It is departmental policy that legal action not be taken to recover unpaid amounts.
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It is recognised that schools conduct a range of traditional activities that form no part of the “levy” or “other charge” structure. In these matters, schools are expected to develop local approaches that take account of issues of inclusiveness, cost, good notice periods and flexible payment options. These activities include:
Student Leaver Activities
The department recognises that leaver activities have become an entrenched feature in many schools, but care should be given to reinforce retention strategies i.e. students are “moving on” from year 6 or year 10 not leaving the education system. To allow all students to participate, regardless of financial circumstances, schools are asked to give due to consideration to the issue of cost.
Fundraising
Care should be taken to ensure that fundraising activities are sensitive to the circumstances of low-income families. In particular care should be taken that inadvertent pressure is not applied to the children of low-income families to participate in school fundraising activities. Similarly fundraising activities should be sensitive to issues of inclusiveness. By way of example: all students are able to participate in a plain clothes day and processes are put in place to ensure that the donation of money is purely voluntary.
School Uniform
The sale or hire of student uniforms is not regarded as being a levy activity. However, schools are encouraged to make low cost options available and consider issues of equity and inclusiveness.
Activities subject to charges such as out-of-school hours tuition e.g. music, tennis.
Section 41(4) of the Education Act 1994 provides that “the principal of a State school, with the agreement of the school council, may charge for activities which are in addition to the normal educational instruction at that State school”.
The Clause Notes that supported the Education Bill state: “This subclause is intended to cover out-of-hours programs such as ‘private’ tennis or music tuition for which a fee would be charged. This Clause is worded so that schools without school councils may not avail themselves of its provision. The wording is deliberate to ensure proper community involvement in this sort of revenue creation. This subclause could not be used to charge for the normal teaching program as this is expressly forbidden under 41(1)”.
Some schools offer these activities during school hours. Similarly if they are beyond the scope of the education program then a charge can be made.
Insurance
The department can provide advice about risk management and insurance, including the lack of need for schools to charge for student insurance policies.
School Photos, Book clubs
The activities are generally commercial activities. Care should be taken to ensure that inadvertent pressure is not applied to children and their parent/carers to purchase these items.
P&F charges
P&F levies must be entirely voluntary and care should be taken to ensure that inadvertent pressure is not applied to parent/carers to pay.
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These procedures provide guidance for parents/carers who may feel aggrieved by the levy arrangements in their children’s school. The recommended resolution process for parents/carers in relation to levy issues is as follows:
- Discuss the matter with your school’s bursar/school executive officer and/or principal.
- If the matter is not resolved, discuss the matter with your relevant Learning Services General Manager. (To see which Learning Service area your school is in link to the List of Primary Schools and Associated Neighbourhood and Access Secondary and Combined Schools.)
- If the matter is still not resolved, forward your complaint in writing to the Deputy Secretary, School Education, PO Box 169, Hobart TAS 7001
Examples of “levy” items associated with a student's education program.
- Book Hire Fee
- Books
- Stationery
- Subject Materials e.g. Art
- Resource materials/classroom supplies
- Personal relationships courses in primary school
- Excursions e.g. bus fares, entrance fees
- Performances e.g. bus fares, entrance fees
- Choir – within school's education program
- Band – within school's education program.
- Sport – within school's Health and Physical Education program
- Year 3, 4 and 5 Compulsory Swimming and Water Safety program.
- Any other compulsory Swimming and Water Safety programs.
- Home Economics consumables*
- MDT consumables*
- Elective options and short course costs e.g. transport, venue hire, project material/consumables*
- Camps that are an integral part of the student’s education program
Consumables:
* In relation to programs with high consumable costs e.g. MDT, Home Economics and other technology subjects, if a separate levy is charged, then it should be on the basis of ensuring that all students participating in the course will have access to equivalent resources which should be adequate to complete the requirements of the course and ensure a quality learning experience. Materials over and above this can be chargeable. For example, where students are designing and making something within a design brief, an equivalent amount of resources should be available for each student. This amount available to each student must be sufficient to enable them to demonstrate understanding to the highest level to which they are capable. If some students elect to make higher cost items by using different materials, then the additional cost could be chargeable.
Examples of items for which "other charges" can be made:
- Activities outside scope of education program e.g.; sport outside HPE program; specialist music tuition; recreational or holiday trips
- Replacement and extra materials e.g. stationery, ICT related resources such as printing
- Additional consumables – refer "Consumables" above
- School magazine;
- Locker hire
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Student Financial Assistance