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Students Victimised Over Unpaid Fees

Beginning the 2007 school year has been a nightmare for some Victorian school students who are being victimised because their parents cannot afford to pay voluntary fees.

By Philip Davis - 7th February 2007 - Back to News

Shadow Minister for Education Philip Davis said today more examples where coming to light where schools are humiliating, naming and shaming particular students and also excluding them from activities because so-called "voluntary" fees have not been paid by the parents.

In a further example revealed today, the Education Department has confirmed that the Boneo Primary School has withheld school books from students whose parents have not paid the voluntary fees.

"I have also been advised that there was a roll call of the students whose fees had not been paid and the students were forced to stand up in front of their class mates," Mr Davis said.

"This victimization is totally unacceptable and this continues a pattern of behaviour which reflects the principals and some school councils do not take the guidelines seriously and are treating the Department of Education with contempt.

Mr Davis said while this was shameful behaviour by schools, and no child should be humiliated in front of their peers by teachers because of their parents’ financial status, the broader issue must be investigated.

"Schools are being so severely starved of government funds, they are resorting to extracting more money from parents to help fund curriculum," Mr Davis said.

"This is an example of schools being starved of Government funding, which was found in the recent Productivity Commission Report into Government Services 2007.

"The Bracks Government consistently spends less per student on education funding than any other state or territory in the country.

"These recent examples of schools behaving inappropriately to extract funds from parents for core school obligations proves that the Bracks Government relies on parents to pay the ‘voluntary’ fees to pay for their child’s education.

"Unfortunately it is ultimately the children who suffer in these situations.

"The Minister has no choice but to take this issue to hand and deal with it.

"My advice to parents is that they should pay the voluntary fees if they can afford to pay.

"Where family circumstances are financially stretched, schools must not coerce families to pay fees they cannot afford.

"If the Bracks Government does its job, their children should not suffer humiliation because of their parents financial position."

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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