Parent Contributions: Applying the policy to specific examples

Applying the policy to specific examples

Administrative software and communication tools

If schools use third party software and communication tools that are required for parents and carers to receive information from the school, without an alternative, access to these tools cannot be considered an extra-curricular item or activity or provide access on a user-pays basis.

Schools must not invite payments for software or tools for which they receive full funding, such as department provided administrative software – for example, CASES21.

Alternative forms of instruction

An alternative form of instruction is the delivery of the curriculum through non-standard instructional methods, and/or the delivery of a parallel curriculum. An alternative form of instruction can be provided on a user-pays basis and categorised as an extra-curricular item or activity, provided the school also offers free access to the curriculum using standard instructional methods.

Schools do not need to provide students with access to alternative forms of instruction if payment is not received. However, schools cannot refuse students instruction in the curriculum (through the school’s standard mode delivery) if payment is not received.

Alternative forms of instruction must be specific, clearly described and identified as optional.

Alternative forms of instruction can include:

parallel curriculum delivery using non-standard instruction methods and frameworks
the completion of an alternative senior secondary qualification, such as the International Baccalaureate Diploma
language immersion, bilingual or binational programs that are offered as an optional stream.

The following are not alternative forms of instruction and schools cannot offer these on a user-pays basis:

bilingual delivery of the curriculum to all students in the school
flexible learning options or re-engagement programs
accelerated learning or select entry programs
single subjects offered as an alternative to mainstream classes
subjects undertaken as part of the VCE, VCE Vocational Major, or the Victorian Pathways Certificate.

Camps and excursions

Schools can offer camps and excursions as part of the curriculum, or as optional activities that enhance curriculum delivery or support student personal development.

It is at a school’s discretion to determine whether a camp or excursion is necessary for delivering the curriculum, or provided to enhance curriculum delivery beyond the standard provided for free, or to broaden the schooling experience of students.

Camps and excursions required to meet curriculum outcomes

If a school determines that a camp or excursion is necessary for delivering the curriculum, it cannot be considered a user-pays extra-curricular activity.

Camps and excursions as an extra-curricular activity

If a school offers a camp or excursion as an enhancement that is outside what is required for curriculum delivery or goes beyond what the school provides for free, or as an activity to support student personal development, these can be offered on a user-pays basis as an extra-curricular activity.

Camps or excursions categorised as extra-curricular items and activities must be specific, clearly described and identified as optional.

Camps or excursions categorised as extra-curricular items and activities can include:

the cost of transport, food, entry fees and accommodation for students and teachers attending
the cost of a casual relief teacher who is engaged for the purpose of supporting the extra-curricular excursion and camp during its operation, either on or off school premises.

Camps or excursions categorised as extra-curricular items and activities cannot include the salaries of department teaching staff.

Schools must not indicate that a user-pays camp or excursion is compulsory for students to attend.

Schools are recommended to ensure the cost of camps or excursions categorised as extra-curricular are kept to a minimum and made affordable for families. Schools must apply the Financial Help for Families policy in relation to camps or excursions categorised as extra-curricular to support families experiencing financial hardship. This includes the Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) that assists with the cost of camps, sporting activities and excursions for eligible families.

Classroom consumables

It is at a school’s discretion to determine the classroom consumables necessary for delivering the curriculum. This can include items such as:

chemicals for Science
paint and coloured paper for Art
wood for Technology
ingredients for Food Technology.

Consumables used for curriculum delivery cannot be considered extra-curricular items or offered on a user-pays basis.

Schools can invite parents and carers to buy consumables for students to use that go beyond what is provided by the school for free for curriculum delivery. For example, parents and carers can be invited to buy more expensive wood for students to use in Technology instead of the standard wood provided by the school. These materials must be categorised as learning materials for students to use and own and must be clearly described as optional.

Classroom equipment and materials

It is at a school’s discretion to determine the classroom equipment and materials necessary for delivering the curriculum. This can include class sets of items, sports equipment and any materials used by the teacher to teach.

Schools can invite parents and carers to buy materials for students to use that go beyond what is provided by the school for free for curriculum delivery.

Digital and online subscriptions

It is at a school’s discretion to determine if digital and online subscriptions are necessary for delivering the curriculum.

Schools can invite parents and carers to buy digital and online subscriptions from third parties as a learning material to own or use instead of using what is made available for free by the school. If a parent or carer does not buy their own subscription, the school must ensure the student has free access to what they need to participate in the curriculum.

Schools can also invite parents and carers to buy digital and online subscriptions for extension activities that are outside what is required for curriculum delivery. Such invitations must be categorised as extra-curricular items and can be provided on a user-pays basis. Subscriptions offered as extra-curricular items must be specific, clearly described and identified as optional.

Digital devices

Schools must ensure that students have free access to digital devices as required for the school’s delivery of the curriculum. The extent and frequency of access that students require depends on the school’s digital learning program.

It is at a school’s discretion to determine the ICT facilities and digital devices necessary for delivering the curriculum.

Schools with primary students must not invite or allow families to buy or bring their own digital devices for student to use at school in years F–6.

Schools with secondary students can invite parents and carers to provide, buy, or lease digital devices directly from third parties as a learning material to own. This is instead of using what is made available for free by the school. If inviting parents and carers to buy or lease a digital device, schools must ensure they comply with the Digital Learning policy, including having at least one device option of the cost specified in that policy.

When inviting parents and carers to buy or lease digital devices directly from a third-party provider, secondary schools can include a list of recommended digital devices, minimum specifications or peripherals (for example, case, bundled apps or software and device insurance).

If the parent or carer of a secondary school student does not provide or buy digital devices, the school must ensure that student has free access to digital devices as required for the school’s delivery of the curriculum.

Schools are not required to provide students with digital devices to own, or keep, on a one-to-one basis. However, schools must determine appropriate resourcing to ensure students have access to the relevant digital devices for the duration required to access the curriculum. This could include using a shared class set device, being loaned a device or being given a device by the school.

When inviting parents and carers to buy digital devices from third parties, schools must try to get value for money for their school community, using their bulk buying power to negotiate discounts and save families money.

Homework materials

Schools must ensure that students have free access to materials required for homework that is part of the school’s delivery of the curriculum. The extent and frequency of access to these materials depends on the school’s context and delivery of the curriculum.

Schools can provide students with access to materials required for homework by:

running an afterschool homework club where students have free access to materials
providing students with access to materials to take home to complete their homework (this could be access to materials shared with other students on a roster system)
photocopying to provide access to reading materials (subject to copyright).

Students and their parents or carers are responsible for returning all items to the school in the same condition they were made available, subject to standard wear and tear. Refer to Seeking payment for damages to school property for more information.

International students

International students enrolled in the International Student Program pay fees set out in a contract with the Department of Education. These fees are separate from Parent Contributions and other payments that schools can invite. Schools can invite the parents and carers of international students to make voluntary contributions and other payments just as they would for the parents and carers of other students at their school.

All communications to parents and carers of international students must use language that is easy to understand and culturally appropriate and, if required, schools must offer Interpreting and Translation Services.

Schools must clearly communicate that contributions are voluntary and consider the appropriateness of requests to parents and carers of international students as:

cultural or linguistic barriers may exist
fee-paying international students already make large financial commitments to Victorian schooling.

Outside school hours care

Outside school hours care is not part of a school’s curriculum delivery. Schools can provide access to OSHC either through a third party provider or through a school council run service. Under both of these provision models, access is on a user-pays basis.

If schools choose to offer an OSHC service, either via a third party or through a school council run service, its availability and costs can be communicated via their Parent Contributions Arrangements or separately. If it is included in Parent Contributions Arrangements, it must be categorised as an extra-curricular item or activity.

For school council operated services, schools must be aware that OSHC operates under the Family Assistance law and financial relief must be compliant with the Family Assistance law at all times for correct administration of Child Care Subsidy.

Refer to the Outside School Hours Care policy for further information.

Safety equipment

Schools must ensure that students have free access to safety equipment as required for the school’s delivery of the curriculum.

Schools can invite parents and carers to supply their own safety equipment from home or buy safety equipment from third parties as a learning item to own instead of using what is made available for free by the school.

Schools are not obliged to provide safety equipment that is considered part of a student’s uniform/clothing or is specifically fitted to them (for example, safety boots, closed shoes).

Stationery

Schools must ensure that students have free access to the stationery necessary for the school’s delivery of the curriculum. How much and how often students access the necessary stationery depends on the school’s context and delivery of the curriculum.

Schools can also invite parents and carers to bring from home or buy stationery directly from third parties instead of using what is made available for free by the school. Schools offering this option must categorise the stationery as a learning material for students to own. Stationery necessary for curriculum delivery cannot be categorised as an extra-curricular item. It is recommended that schools only include frequently used items (pens, pencils, and erasers) in their invitations to buy stationery.

When inviting parents and carers to buy stationery directly from a third-party provider, the school can include a list of recommended stationery (for example, pens, pencils, notepads).

Schools cannot communicate to families that they must buy stationery from third parties. If a parent or carer does not provide or buy their own stationery, the school must ensure that students have free access to stationery necessary for the school’s delivery of the curriculum.

Schools are not required to provide students with stationery to own, or keep, on a one-to-one basis. However, schools must determine appropriate resourcing to ensure students have access to stationery for the duration required to access the curriculum. This could include the school having a shared class set of stationery, loaning stationery to students or giving students individual stationery packs.

When inviting parents and carers to buy stationery from third parties, schools must try to get value for money for their school community, using their bulk buying power to negotiate discounts and save families money.

Subject costs

Voluntary contributions cannot be itemised by subject.

Individual subjects delivered as part of the curriculum cannot be considered extra-curricular items or activities. As all subjects provided to students by the school are delivered as part of the curriculum, the option for students to choose between subjects does not qualify a subject as extra-curricular. Exceptions to this are set out under the Alternative forms of instruction section.

Schools can invite parents and carers to buy learning materials for individual subjects. These materials must be categorised as learning materials for students to own and are optional for parents and carers to buy. They can include items that go above the base of what schools provide for free (Refer to the Classroom consumables example above for further information). Students must be provided with what is required for curriculum delivery if these items are not purchased.

Schools can also offer extra-curricular activities associated with a subject. These activities can be offered on a user-pays basis if they are determined by the school to be additional to what is required for curriculum delivery or if there is a free standard activity available for students to participate in the curriculum.

Extra-curricular items and activities associated with a subject must be specific, clearly described and identified as optional.

Swimming

Schools must ensure that students are provided with a free swimming and water safety program that aligns with curriculum requirements. Costs associated with delivery of this curriculum requirement cannot be considered user-pays extra-curricular items or activities.

Schools can invite parents to pay for swimming lessons that are additional to or outside what the school provides for free to deliver the curriculum. These additional lessons must be categorised as extra-curricular activities and can be provided on a user-pays basis.

Extra-curricular swimming lessons must be specific, clearly described and identified as optional.

Refer to Swimming Instruction and Water Safety Education policy for further information.

Schools must ensure that all students have free access to the delivery of sexuality and consent education as part of the curriculum mandated for government schools in Victoria.

While a parent or carer may decide not to allow their child to participate in the sexual health component of the school’s health education, these lessons or programs form part of the curriculum and cannot be categorised as extra-curricular items or activities.

Refer to the Sexuality and Consent Education policy for further information.

Textbooks (including digital textbooks) and calculators

Schools must ensure that students have free access to textbooks and calculators as required for the school’s delivery of the curriculum. The extent and frequency of access that students require depends on the school’s context and delivery of the curriculum.

Schools can invite parents and carers to provide or buy textbooks and calculators directly from third parties as a learning material to own instead of using what is made available for free by the school. When inviting parents to buy textbooks and calculators directly from a third party provider, the school can include a list of recommended textbooks and calculators. If a parent does not provide or buy their own textbooks and calculators, the school must ensure that students have free access to textbooks and calculators as required for the school’s delivery of the curriculum.

Schools are not required to provide students with items to own, or keep, on a one-to-one basis. However, schools must determine appropriate resourcing to ensure students have access to textbooks for the duration required to access the curriculum. This can include class sets of textbooks, library copies, loan and sharing programs, photocopied pages of relevant texts (subject to copyright).

When inviting parents and carers to buy textbooks from third parties, schools must try to get value for money for their school community, using their bulk buying power to negotiate discounts and save families money.

Uniforms

Uniform requirements are set out in the Student Dress Code policy.

Vocational education and training

Vocational education and training (VET) courses are considered the same as any other subject in a school’s curriculum delivery. Voluntary contributions cannot be itemised by subject.

As all VET courses provided to students by the school are delivered as part of the curriculum, the option for students to choose between VET courses does not qualify a course as extra-curricular.

Schools can invite parents and carers to provide or buy VET tools and equipment directly from third parties as learning materials to own instead of using what is made available for free by the school. When inviting parents to buy VET tools and equipment directly from a third party provider, the school may include a list of recommended tools and equipment.

If a parent or carer does not provide or buy tools and equipment for their child to use and own, the school must ensure that students have free access to tools and equipment as required for the school’s delivery of the curriculum.