KEY POINTS:
National Party MP Katherine Rich has accused Minister of Education Chris Carter of taking a cavalier attitude to the reliance schools place on parent donations by saying the argument schools were not free was spin and it was the parents' call whether to pay donations.
In an interview with the Education Review, Mr Carter said he rejected complaints parents were forced to pay for an education in donations.
"We know the spin is that somehow it hasn't become free. Actually, it is free and parents choose to pay it or choose not to. That's their call."
Ms Rich, National's education spokeswoman, said Mr Carter's casual attitude and telling parents it was "their call" on donations was irresponsible and would put some off paying.
"Skipping about the country telling parents they can happily choose not to contribute, as if there are no consequences, risks the over $200 million parents pay to keep schools running. If parents take the minister's steer and make a 'call' not to pay, the finances of most schools would collapse."
In 2006, $508 million of school funding came from parents and communities through donations, costs of "extras" and fundraising activities. It included $58 million in donations.
Mr Carter was overseas and unavailable for comment.
Ministry of Education senior official Rawiri Brell said schools were free to fundraise but were funded by the Government for their core functions.
Spending on education had increased from $3.8 billion in 1999 to $5.6 billion last year, and school operational grants would increase by 4 per cent this year. She said locally raised funds made up about 10 per cent of school income and was typically to provide "extra benefits".
However School Trustees' Association head Lorraine Kerr agreed with Ms Rich that Mr Carter's insistence donations need not be paid could put parents off.
"The donations parents pay to schools help a lot to topping up areas that are, in effect, a Government responsibility. Making comments like that does make parents dig their toes in. Education isn't free."
Similar criticism was voiced last year by three school principals - Macleans College principal Byron Bentley, Auckland Grammar principal John Morris and Epsom Girls' Grammar's Annette Sharp - who said the increased reliance on donations had rendered the concept of free education a myth.
Mr Bentley said at the time it was "unhelpful" of the Government to continue to insist it was free. He said Government funding covered just over half the cost of running the school, and international students and parent donations made up the rest.
Ms Kerr was also angered by comments Mr Carter made in the Education Review article that the argument that costs in schools were rising was "debatable" and he was "impatient" with claims that schools were not well enough resourced.
"The Government has put forward $4 billion extra into education and 5000 new teaching positions above roll growth. When is enough enough?" he said.
Ms Kerr said the Government expected schools to implement information technology programmes.
"The Government will tell you they spent something like $80 million funding schools for it but what they won't tell you is that parent donations of $170 million props it up. And that's just one subject."
A 2006 ministry study on operations funding found it had not kept pace with costs in information technology, the cost of implementing curriculum changes and policy requirements from the Government, and higher compliance costs.
Ms Kerr said schools were hoping for a good result in next year's Budget - the first after the Government completed its review of operations funding.
Ms Kerr said the trustees association ran a campaign in the last election year calling on the Government to "put the free back into education".
A Herald survey of Auckland school fees last year found the average "donation" was $179 in secondary schools.
