Principal: Parents' money vital

A principal of one of New Zealand's more affluent schools says students would suffer without the voluntary payments parents contribute each year.

Byron Bentley, from decile 10 Macleans College in Bucklands Beach, said 82 per cent of parents paid their $460 "donation" to the school this year.

"Of course, we are very grateful for that. I think it's a huge number and is testament to how important the parents think donations are for their children's education," he said.

"If we charge anything else it might be $20 to join a sports team or a music group for the year, it's kind of user-pays stuff."

Ministry of Education figures show the state school is ranked sixth in the country for locally-raised funds and one of eight Auckland schools in the top 10.

The school, with a roll of 2300 students, raised $4.5 million last year.

About $2 million of those funds came from the 300 international students the school has on its books.

Mr Bentley would not be drawn when asked if schools' reliance on external contributions was increasing and more government funding was needed.

But he said 55 per cent of his school's running costs came from locally-raised funds.

"It's the old story of how much is enough ... but our extra curricular programmes, all our sport and music and to be able to maintain our huge IT capabilities would badly suffer if we didn't have that locally raised money," said Mr Bentley.

"A lot of other programmes in the curriculum as well, like literacy and numeracy programmes, they would suffer as well, there's no question about that."

Mr Bentley said some students received assistance from charitable organisations but had to apply for help.

HOW MUCH PARENTS GAVE SCHOOLS

Sacred Heart College (Auckland) $6,377,422

Bethlehem College 5,331,470

Rangitoto College 5,049,506

Avondale College 5,027,003

Auckland Grammar 4,907,426

Macleans College 4,534,045

Mt Roskill Grammar 4,192,924

Hutt International Boys' School 3,876,057

Westlake Boys' High School 3,855,232

Epsom Girls' Grammar School 3,745,071

Burnside High School 3,486,491

Baradene College 3,452,728

St Peter's College (Epsom) 3,438,410

Takapuna Grammar School 3,417,293

Hamilton Boys' High School 3,301,838

Waikato Diocesan School For Girls 3,219,033

Sancta Maria College 3,138,182

Christchurch Boys' High School 3,110,790

Wellington College 3,057,470

St Mary's College (Wellington) 2,992,590

Mt Albert Grammar School 2,948,747

Kingsway School 2,856,415

John Paul College 2,798,733

Wellington High School & Com Ed Centre 2,767,164

Howick College 2,752,914

Palmerston North Boys' High School 2,717,176

Westlake Girls' High School 2,675,417

Middleton Grange School 2,663,067

Aquinas College 2,612,754

Northcote College 2,576,412

Nelson College For Girls 2,553,807

Orewa College 2,472,818

Rosmini College 2,467,543

Glenfield College 2,467,541

St Patrick's College (Kilbirnie) 2,460,702

Botany Downs Secondary College 2,446,977

Greymouth High School 2,442,355

Otumoetai College 2,411,985

Pakuranga College 2,401,057

Rangiora High School 2,396,941

Massey High School 2,355,261

Taupo-nui-a-Tia College2,343,810

Lynfield College 2,265,778

Long Bay College 2,199,498

St Mary's College (Ponsonby) 2,146,882

Tauranga Boys' College 2,128,792

Waimea College 2,118,545

Nelson College 2,115,038

Lindisfarne College 2,109,450

Wairarapa College 2,087,628

Albany Junior High School 2,075,738

St John's College (Hillcrest) 2,040,417

Correspondence School 2,023,000

Hamilton Girls' High School 2,015,395

Francis Douglas Memorial College 2,008,819

St Peter's College (Palmerston North) 1,986,733

Papanui High School 1,978,406

Shirley Boys' High School 1,971,084

Sacred Heart College (Lower Hutt) 1,961,595

Selwyn College1,958,639

Hagley Community College 1,958,590

Onehunga High School 1,955,899

Christchurch Girls' High School 1,949,512

Kamo High School 1,949,193

Kamo School 1,949,193

Wanganui High School 1,934,224

Woodford House 1,870,923

Hillcrest High School 1,863,048

Rotorua Girls' High School 1,854,518

Hutt Valley High School 1,836,992

Wellington Girls' College 1,805,923

Kapiti College 1,773,699

St Dominic's College (Henderson) 1,758,654

Whangarei Boys' High School 1,754,599

Auckland Girls' Grammar School 1,747,105

Mahurangi College 1,733,345

St Bernard's College 1,722,540

Elim Christian College 1,719,792

Mt Maunganui College 1,719,369

Northcross Intermediate 1,718,476

Linwood College 1,715,488

Glendowie College 1,714,901

James Hargest College 1,714,138

Nayland College 1,710,596

Newlands College 1,703,267

Whangarei Girls' High School 1,698,221

Tauranga Intermediate 1,692,140

Kerikeri High School 1,680,986

Cashmere High School 1,659,403

Sacred Heart Girls' College (Ham) 1,641,726

Marist College 1,641,494

Mt Aspiring College 1,639,809

St Paul's College (Ponsonby) 1,624,505

Darfield High School 1,624,026

Onslow College 1,609,856

Carmel College 1,588,348

Western Heights High School 1,580,913

Pukekohe High School 1,575,469

Riccarton High School 1,567,288

St Bedes College 1,565,399

Tauranga Girls' College 1,553,663

Rutherford College 1,551,129

Western Springs College 1,539,252

Lincoln High School 1,527,522

Cambridge High School 1,509,016

Rotorua Boys' High School 1,505,967

Edgewater College 1,481,442

Sacred Heart Girls' College (N Plymouth) 1,477,256

St Oran's College 1,472,961

St Matthew's Collegiate (Masterton) 1,468,613

Iona College 1,463,614

New Plymouth Boys' High School 1,460,693

New Plymouth Girls' High School 1,433,752

De La Salle College 1,424,651

Murrays Bay Intermediate 1,418,745

Birkenhead College 1,416,719

Marlborough Girls' College 1,403,981

Rathkeale College 1,362,901

Campion College 1,362,884

Raphael House Rudolf Steiner Area School 1,361,376

Te Awamutu College 1,340,431

Michael Park School 1,317,213

Auckland Normal Intermediate 1,308,408

Avonside Girls' High School 1,303,890

Wellington East Girls' College 1,262,759

Remuera Intermediate 1,242,097

Mount Hutt College 1,218,008

Logan Park High School 1,213,153

Taradale High School 1,213,110

Whangaparaoa College 1,208,452

Kaiapoi High School 1,200,905

Upper Hutt College 1,192,197

Bucklands Beach Intermediate 1,190,766

Ashburton College 1,178,444

Southland Girls' High School 1,171,605

Northland College 1,166,685

Te Awamutu Intermediate 1,161,523

Villa Maria College 1,159,151

Pompallier Catholic College 1,140,164

Napier Boys' High School 1,133,690

Aranui High School 1,131,297

Matamata College 1,125,737

St Mary's Catholic School (Tauranga) 1,124,224

Marcellin College 1,123,777

Southern Cross Campus 1,122,913

Havelock North High School 1,112,493

Hastings Boys' High School 1,104,349

Wesley College 1,092,596

St John's College (Hastings) 1,085,267

St Catherines College (Kilbirnie) 1,080,347

St Patrick's College (Silverstream) 1,074,781

Otamatea High School 1,074,709

Kaikorai Valley College 1,064,992

Southland Boys' High School 1,063,964

Takapuna Normal Intermediate 1,054,424

Star of the Sea School (Howick) 1,039,822

Marian Catholic School (Hamilton) 1,015,437

Glen Eden Intermediate 1,006,608