Old school ties are for anyone

REBECCA WALSH and LIBBY MIDDLEBROOK dispel some of the common myths about a private school education.

Tuatia Levi wants an Isuzu Big Horn, one of those maroon-coloured ones with the chunky tyres.

But he won't be buying one any time soon.

Mr Levi and his wife Mau pour every spare cent they earn into their son's education at Kings College, one of the most expensive private schools in the country.

By the time 13-year-old Elvis leaves the school in 2004, he will have racked up a bill of more than $50,000 as a day pupil.

That means no new cars, home renovations or overseas holidays for the Levi family.

"Our elder son Elvoi is on a sports scholarship, but even Elvis' fees are a huge sacrifice for us financially. But to us it's worth it, it's like an investment," said Mrs Levi, who pays the bills from her incomes as an accountant and Tautia's maths teacher salary.

Around the country, families sending their children to private schools can expect to pay from $7000 to $10,600 a year in tuition fees.

If their children are boarders, they will pay another $4800 to $7400 a year.

At King's College in Auckland, a family will pay up to $18,000 a year for their son or daughter to board at the school.

Then there is the cost of a new school uniform. Once you've bought the blazer, shirts, shorts, sports gear, kilts, ties, scarf and raincoat, the bill can range from $800 up to $2200.

Most schools have second-hand shops, which are widely used.

Fees at all schools the Weekend Herald spoke to had increased over the past five years. In some cases, tuition fees had jumped by more than $2000.

Schools cited the cost of inflation, building maintenance and teaching costs among the reasons for the increase, but pointed out that a limited number of scholarships were also available.

At Southwell Independent School, a co-educational school near Hamilton for primary and intermediate children, fees had increased about 20 per cent.

Headmaster John Sissons said the main reason was the cost of teacher salaries, which had increased with the introduction of pay parity for primary teachers.

The school aimed for a teacher-pupil ration of 1:15 and unlike its state school counterparts, teachers specialised in their subject area.

And while most people equate private schools with wealthy people - and the rural sector - those who run the schools say their students come from all walks of life.

Mr Sissons said parents at the school included people who worked in shops, mechanics, boat builders, lawyers, and teachers.

The majority of parents made "significant sacrifices" to send their children to the school. In most families both parents worked and they went without new cars and holidays.

Many paid the fees on a weekly or monthly basis.

David Moffat, development director at St Peter's School near Cambridge, said the school, once predominantly made up of students from "the rural heartland of the central North Island," was now a balance of students from farming and professional backgrounds.

At King's College, more than half the students come from the greater Auckland area and about a quarter are the sons and daughters of previous students.

"About three-quarters of our students are first time users of King's College. A lot of people think you have to be on the first four ships ... It's people looking for the best all-round opportunity they can give their kids," headmaster John Taylor said.

"Another myth is that they are horrendously wealthy. About 20 per cent of parents could pay the fees without looking at the cheque butt, but most are middle-income New Zealanders."

Mr Taylor believed private schools were still popular because people were looking for certainty and a balanced education that covered academic, sporting and cultural life.

The new National Certificate of Educational Achievement, to be phased in to replace School Certificate and Bursary, had created a great deal of uncertainty, along with concerns about the supply of good quality teachers, Mr Taylor said.

Parents were also looking for training in areas such as information technology that were appropriate to today's job market.

Joy Quigley, executive director of the Independent Schools Council, said parents wanted high standards, sound discipline, high-quality teaching and non-disruptive classrooms, and schools that were seen as being among the best internationally.

Ministry of Education figures for 1999 show that out of a total of 2747 schools, New Zealand had were 51 private intermediate schools, 15 private secondary schools and 43 private composite schools (from new entrants through to year 13).

Private schools receive a Government subsidy ranging from $1253 a pupil for primary age children to $2667 each for secondary students.

A total of 326 private schools have integrated into the state system, meaning the Government covers teacher salaries and some operation costs. Fees are consequently cheaper, encouraging more families to enrol their students.

Havelock North girls school Woodford House integrated in 1999, nearly halving annual tuition fees by about $4000 to $4392.

The 106-year-old school had suffered a decline in the roll for boarding students since the sharemarket crash and the downturn in the rural economy.

Fees are now made up of compulsory attendance dues of $1600 plus a "donation" to maintain special character aspects of the school, such as small classroom sizes.

Students at state schools are often asked to pay a "donation" - a voluntary contribution - from as little as $35 to a couple of hundred dollars.

The school can not make it a prerequisite for enrolment or attendance.

The issue caused controversy a couple of years ago when Glenfield College threatened to ban students who had not paid the donation from attending the school ball.