While the rest of us work 60+ hours per week for fun.

That is totally shocking!!!

My husband will be working weekends so how would he get round that? Isn't there any consideration for poeple who don't work Monday-Friday 9-5? A huge amount of people work shift - nights and weekends included

Here in New Zealand, they invoice you and have the choice of paying monthly direct debit or all in one go! There was talk of one school naming and shaming the parents who didn't/couldn't pay

I have 3 children, one in school and 2 in Kindy, have only one wage coming in and I'm studying full-time (funded by myself) and am expected to pay these extortionate fees I don't mind paying for activities that my children do but when I'm asked week in week out to buy/donate/sell/donate it starts to wear a bit thin For example, the school gala last summer made $70k PROFIT yet a week later they had their begging caps out again!

Another story here, my friends daughter lived with her mum who refused to pay the school donations, she was doing ok at school - or so we thought. Lots of stuff happened and she went to live with her dad who was then paying her school donations. From day one of the cheque going in, she was invited to join all the school teams, invited to join the school plays etc. just generally she 'slotted into the best of the school' and started doing better academically.

Such a shame that they have the monopoly here I really want to prepare for Australia from an honest perspective - not the bull they all told me about NZ to get our money here!

It's all starting to make me feel a bit queasy...

My eldest starts college (high school) this coming February here in NZ, for all his uniform, books, activity fees (woodwork, economics etc), donations etc. it's going to cost $1200 NZ$


This is before his stationery, lunches and other daily/weekly stuff. Their uniform is all compulsory too so can't even find cheaper alternatives!

What's that in £££? Sounds shocking!

I am beginning to think it ain't all bad here in Blighty...

Hmm, approx 450/500 pounds. For all my gripes though, I'd still much rather put my kids through school over this side of the world as opposed to the knife-weilding students that harass the UK school system.

In other words, prior to this, the school was failing your daughter which IMO is blatantly wrong.

ooh not my daughter but a very good friend of ours' daughter It is blatantly wrong, which is why I had to ask the all-important question of donations and the comeback of not paying them. I still have a couple of years before we can leave NZ for Australia, so I want to get as much an honest opinion(s) as I can. We researched for 2 years before coming out to NZ, but was sold a lie

NZ isn't all bad and it is a beautiful country, but it isn't for us. Not enough pro's to keep us here...

Which is exactly how we feel about Aus.

You want to trade our visa'?

DD hasn't yet started school (starts in the New Year) and already I'm a bit worried about the fees & "extras". I've saved up $1200 (well, by the end of Dec I'll have it all) towards school stuff but I'm a bit worried that now it won't cover it.

Had an info session at school last night so I need to trawl through the paperwork and see if there's any mention of the fees and "voluntary" donations. I have friends with children at another local school and they've not bothered to pay the voluntary bit. At the moment, they're on a temp 457 visa so have to stump up an extra $4.5k per year per child as it is so really begrudge the "voluntary" stuff

My OH would willingly pay double that to stay away...

Yes it is when you've already paid School fees, bought uniforms, bought books etc - and $500 isn't really a small donation is it? Also, incentivising kids...doesn't that just teach them to expect something every time they essentially are just doing what they should be doing?

Our fees statement comes with the 'optional' buildings and library fund added in. You need to deduct it from the total if you don't want to pay it A bit like the "We'll make everyone an organ donor unless they tell us they don't want to be" scenario being talked about now

Exactly. My main gripe is that surely this should already be covered by our taxes. Isn't that what they are for? And if it isn't why isn't it? Shouldn't the schools be lobbying the relevant MPs for more $$$?

I mean we are talking about maintenance of school buildings for god's sake! I would have thought one of the fundamental purposes of tax is for a decent education for all, not just those who can afford it, but I seem to be in the minority in thinking this here.

Sorry for going on like a broken record, but I feel really passionately about it.

Damned cheek, what do we pay taxes for exactly ?