No-one could possibly pretend schools are free. While the Government pays teacher salaries and operational and supplementary grants, these are insufficient to meet what a modern school wants to offer.
For that comes fundraising, semi-compulsory school ''donations'' and various other fees.
All this is well beyond paying for stationery and uniforms, and it soon mounts towards hundreds of dollars each year. The costs are especially high for secondary schools and for pupils who are active and like to participate widely.
The issue has been highlighted by schools telling parents large numbers of accounts have not yet been paid. Balmacewen Intermediate principal Andy Hunter, for example, sent a newsletter to parents saying the school had $46,988 in unpaid pupil accounts and the debts were putting the school's finances under ''undue pressure''. The figure covers a mixture of ''donations'' and unpaid accounts.
Without doubt, Balmacewen Intermediate is not the only school affected, and the impact of unpaid fees is felt by most. The donations are, at least in theory, optional and other extra-curriculum costs are not paid for by the Ministry of Education.
They might include woodwork or clothing take-home items, sports subscriptions, music tuition, camps, class trips, events, and other activities not covered by the standard curriculum.
Most parents want their children to take advantage of opportunities provided. Most do not want their children being left out, and how hard it must be for pupils to miss out for financial reasons.
How awkward and embarrassing, too, it must be when parents have to confess to hardship, and when schools have to chase up debts.
The school donation, which might amount to $100 more or less annually and in the case of some high-decile schools can be a few hundred dollars, needs to be paid by all parents who can possibly afford to do so.
Schools need the money and a vital, well-run school will be using it to good effect. Parents with reasonable incomes should not stand on their high horse and refuse to pay because this contribution is a ''donation''.
There must remain, nonetheless, situations where the worst-off parents are excused and need not pay up. For all the criticism, the decile rating system does give more money to schools where more parents or caregivers are likely to be in that bracket. Often, too, the ''donation'' expected is much lower in low-decile schools.
The other fees are different and have to be met. Hopefully, these do not mount up too much and can be paid in instalments if necessary. For struggling families, these fees must be one more huge, challenging imposition on top of rent, power, food and other costs.
Parents are also expected to pay for the likes of mufti days, sausage sizzles, calendars, entertainment, books and so on.
There is also money sought for the likes of toilet paper, cheese rolls or chocolates fundraisers. In some cases, there are fairs and sponsored activities to support. Raffles, which often just turn into another form of donation, seem to be less common these days.
While it might be suggested taxpayers should contribute more, the bucket for school spending is so deep that whatever is paid will never be enough. There will always be more worthwhile spending opportunities, and state funding will be insufficient.
There are no easy answers for schools or parents. Despite the protestations of the Education Act about free education, if pupils are going to make the most of the opportunities schools provide, their parents and guardians will have to also carry much of the burden.
