Parent Contributions

Policy

This policy outlines the ways in which schools can request voluntary contributions and other payments from parents and carers.

Summary

• Schools must provide students with free instruction and free access to all items, activities and services that are used by the school to fulfil the requirements of the curriculum.
• Schools can invite parents and carers to make voluntary contributions to be used towards enhanced educational programs and school environment, and additional resources and opportunities offered by schools.
• Schools must advise carers of children and young people in out-of-home care, and parents or carers who hold a financially means-tested card (such as a healthcare card) that the invitation to make voluntary contributions does not apply to them. Schools must not follow up these parents and carers to make contributions.
• Schools determine the level of voluntary contributions to invite each year, taking into consideration the views, needs and expectations of the school community.
• Schools must apply the Financial Help for Families policy to their Parent Contributions Arrangements.
• Parents and carers decide whether to make voluntary contributions, how much to contribute and when to contribute. Schools cannot set payment plans or schedules for voluntary contributions.
• Other payments that schools can invite parents and carers to make are for:
  • extra-curricular items and activities such as yearbooks, or camps or excursions that are not required for curriculum delivery (provided as user-pays – if payment is not made, then schools are not required to provide to students)
  • learning materials for students to own and use (noting that if these materials are not bought by parents or carers, the school must provide access to what students need for curriculum delivery).
• School councils must review and approve all Parent Contributions and other payment arrangements, including extra-curricular activities scheduled throughout the year.
• Schools can ask the department for advice about their Parent Contributions and other payment arrangements. They can also ask the department to review their draft Parent Contributions arrangements.
• It is recommended that schools communicate their Parent Contributions Arrangements to parents and carers at least 6 weeks prior to the end of the previous school year.

Schools must:

• not have their own local Parent Contributions policy
• not indicate that items or activities required for curriculum delivery are extra-curricular or offer them on a user-pays basis
• use one of the department’s approved Parent Contributions Arrangements templates and other approved language when communicating with parents and follow all instructions (including not editing text that is marked as not to be edited). Refer to the Guidance tab for approved language and to the Resources tab for templates
• publish a link to this Parent Contributions policy and the school’s Parent Contributions Arrangements (including the Parent Contributions policy – information for families included in the template) on the same page of their school website. This will demonstrate compliance with the Minimum Standards for School Registration
• nominate staff members to be the contact for parents or carers who have queries about Parent Contributions or who require financial help
• follow all the requirements in this policy and the Guidance tab.

Details

Free instruction

All Victorian government schools must provide students with free access to instruction to fulfil the requirements of the curriculum.

This refers to the Victorian Curriculum F–10, the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) including the VCE Vocational Major and the Victorian Pathways Certificate, and includes elective subjects.

Free instruction includes teaching, administrative support and the facilities needed to deliver the curriculum, including reasonable adjustments to support students with disability.

How much and how often students need to access the items and activities required for curriculum delivery depends on the school’s context and their approach to delivering the curriculum.

Schools are not required to provide students with items used for delivery of the curriculum to own or keep, or on a one-to-one basis. However, schools must determine appropriate resourcing to ensure students have free access to items for as long as required for delivery of the curriculum.

Schools cannot indicate that items or activities required for curriculum delivery are user-pays.

Parent Contributions categories

Schools can ask parents and carers to make voluntary contributions and other payments under the following categories.

Voluntary contributions

Schools can invite parents and carers to make voluntary contributions to be used towards the cost of items and activities that:

• enhance the education programs delivered by the school
• enhance the school environment
• are not part of the curriculum but support the school’s priorities and goals.

When inviting voluntary contributions schools must:

• follow all instructions in the Parent Contributions arrangements – including voluntary contributions template (DOCX) (staff login required)(opens in a new window), and not edit or amend language that is specified as not to be edited, or add any text
• clearly state in all communications with parents and carers that each contribution is voluntary and not use coercive language or terms, such as fees, charges or levies that suggest or communicate that voluntary contributions are compulsory
• not use language that implies the standard of education will change if voluntary contributions are not made
• include only one single value as a suggested amount that parents can contribute, rather than an itemised list of values for individual items (note that contributions to tax-deductible building or library funds are able to be presented separately, for parent and carer tax purposes)
• not approach or communicate with students for the purpose of requesting, encouraging or following up on contributions from their parents or carers
• maintain confidentiality regarding the payment of voluntary contributions
• not refuse a student instruction in the curriculum, limit student subject choice or deny access to items or activities required for the curriculum because their parents or carers do not make a voluntary contribution
• advise carers of children and young people in out-of-home care (as defined in the Supporting Students in Out-of-Home Care policy) and parents and carers who hold a financially means-tested card such as a health care card that the invitation to make voluntary contributions does not apply to them.

In determining the proposed voluntary contribution amount, schools may wish to give consideration to the amount requested in previous years, any feedback from parents and carers and what kinds of enhancements to the education program or environment the school is proposing to use this funding for in the coming year.

Voluntary tax-deductible contributions

Schools can invite parents and carers to make voluntary tax-deductible contributions towards an Australian Taxation Office-endorsed building and/or library Deductible Gift Recipient fund, that are listed separate to their overall voluntary contributions suggested amount. Schools wishing to establish a building and/or library fund can do so by following the guidance in the Finance Manual.

Specialist schools can apply for Deductible Gift Recipient status. This means parents and carers who make any voluntary contributions to these schools can claim a tax deduction.

To set up Deductible Gift Recipient status, schools can refer to the Finance Manual.

Other payments

Extra-curricular items and activities

Extra-curricular items and activities are additional to the free instruction provided to all students to fulfil the requirements of the curriculum. These items and activities can be offered on a user-pays basis, meaning that schools are not required to provide the items or activities if payments are not made.

Extra-curricular items and activities can support curriculum-based learning. However, schools must continue to provide all students with access to the curriculum, regardless of whether a parent or carer chooses to pay for the related extra-curricular item or activity. As schools deliver the curriculum according to their local context, each school has discretion to determine whether an item or activity is extra-curricular or required for curriculum delivery. Items and activities that are required for curriculum delivery cannot be classified as extra-curricular or offered on a user-pays basis.

Schools must ensure that extra-curricular items and activities are specific, clearly described and identified as optional. Examples of items and activities that might be considered extra-curricular include:

• excursions and camps that are not required for curriculum delivery
• instrumental music lessons/programs that are not required for curriculum delivery
• sporting programs that are not required for curriculum delivery
• alternative forms of instruction (for example the International Baccalaureate, language immersion or binational programs that are provided as an optional alternative form of instruction)
• non-curriculum-based school events (for example, graduation ceremony)
• non-curriculum items (for example, school magazine, yearbook)
• outside of school hours care (before and/or after school care and school holiday programs).

Extra-curricular items and activities must not include:

• items, activities and services that are required to fulfil the curriculum (this includes accelerated or select entry programs delivering the Victorian Curriculum)
• learning materials and tools such as stationery packs, digital devices, textbooks (including digital textbooks), calculators
• general enrolment fees
• subject enrolment fees (including subjects defined by the school as ‘elective’)
• the hire, lease, or lease-to-own of school owned digital devices.

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

Schools must ensure the costs of extra-curricular items and activities are kept to a minimum and are affordable for families. Schools must apply the Financial Help for Families policy in relation to extra-curricular items and activities to support families experiencing financial hardship. The Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund is available to help eligible families with the cost of certain types of extra-curricular activities.

Learning materials for students to use and own

Schools can invite parents and carers to provide, buy or lease learning materials for their child’s personal use instead of using what is made available for free by the school for curriculum delivery.

When inviting parents or carers to provide, buy or lease learning materials, schools can:

• provide a list of items or specifications they are recommending, which must be published on the school website and attached to the Parent Contribution Arrangements
• link to third-party provider/supplier websites.

However, schools must not require parents to use a specific third-party supplier. Parents and carers can buy or lease items from a supplier of their choice.

If a parent or carer does not provide, buy or lease learning materials, the school must ensure that the student has free access to items required for delivery of the curriculum.

Schools are not required to provide students with items to own, or keep, on an individual basis. However, schools must provide students with appropriate access to relevant items for the duration required to access the curriculum.

Learning materials or tools that schools can invite parents and carers to buy or lease include:

• textbooks (paper or digital versions)
• digital and online learning subscriptions
• stationery
• calculators
• digital devices (for secondary school students only – refer to the Digital Learning policy for more information).

Learning materials that schools must not invite parents and carers to buy or lease include:

• classroom consumables required for curriculum delivery (including class materials such as food ingredients or art supplies that contribute to finished products that students take home. Parents and carers can be invited to buy learning materials that are beyond those provided by the school if they choose – refer to the Guidance tab for further detail)
• items that students do not take individual possession of (for example, class sets of devices, sports equipment, whole-school subscriptions)
• items that are developed and produced by the school (for example, school-developed workbooks and exam papers)
• items used for extra-curricular activities (such as individualised equipment used by students participating in optional interschool sports or instruments used in optional instrumental music lessons. These items must be categorised as extra-curricular items, not learning materials)
• services (for example, device repair costs).

Financial help for families

While contributions are voluntary, schools must prepare for and support families experiencing financial hardship to facilitate student participation in the full school program (for example, supporting families with access to extra-curricular items and activities and learning materials for students to own).

Schools must:

• advise carers of children and young people in out-of-home care, and parents or carers of students who hold a financially means-tested card (such as a healthcare card) that they should not make voluntary contributions. Schools must not follow up these parents and carers to make voluntary contributions
• apply the Financial Help for Families policy to their Parent Contributions Arrangements, particularly with respect to extra-curricular items and activities
• nominate a Parent Contributions contact person(s) to support families with financial help arrangements and support programs.

While schools must provide students with access to all items, activities and services that are used to access the curriculum if parents do not provide or buy learning materials for students to own, schools are recommended to consider options to facilitate ownership at a lower cost. This may include supplying or offering also low-cost access to second-hand textbooks, devices, and calculators to families experiencing hardship. This will support the requirement of the Financial Help for Families policy that ensures dignity for students.

Refer to Financial Help for Families for further information.

Implementing the policy in schools

Schools develop their Parent Contributions Arrangements each year to suit the contextual needs, expectations and aspirations of their school community while ensuring their arrangements are consistent with this policy.

School Parent Contributions Arrangements must:

• use the department’s approved Parent Contributions Arrangements templates (including not edit or amend text that is marked as not to be changed), ensuring that all examples of learning materials to own or extra-curricular items and activities are consistent with the requirements of the Parent Contributions policy
• include the Parent Contributions policy – information for families (DOCX)(opens in a new window) supplied in the department’s approved templates
• be published on the school’s public website along with a link to the department’s Parent Contributions policy, and lists of learning materials for students to own
• be reviewed and approved by the school council
• support the functions and objectives of the school, including promoting student learning, access, equity, inclusion and wellbeing
• ensure costs to parents and carers for extra-curricular items and activities are kept to a minimum, affordable for families and align with the expectations of the school community
• follow the finance requirements set out in the Guidance tab
• follow the communication requirements set out in the Guidance tab for all communications with parents and carers throughout the school year
• follow all monitoring and compliance requirements as directed by the department.

Schools must not:

• have Parent Contributions Arrangements that are inconsistent with any of the requirements of this policy
• itemise voluntary contributions
• undertake debt recovery activities for any payments or contributions
• have a local Parent Contributions policy
• use terms such as fees, charges or levies, in any communication with parents and carers, or any other term which suggests that voluntary contributions are compulsory or required
• use language in any communications that implies that the standard of education will change if contributions are not made.

Schools can choose to have one Parent Contributions Arrangement for all year levels or separate arrangements for each year level.

School that choose not to invite voluntary contributions must use the Parent Contributions arrangements – extra-curricular and learning materials only template (DOCX) (staff login required)(opens in a new window).

It is recommended that schools communicate their Parent Contributions Arrangements to parents and carers at least 6 weeks prior to the end of the previous school year.

The school must nominate suitable staff to be the contacts for parents who have queries about Parent Contributions or who require financial help.

Related policies

• Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF)
• Digital Learning
• Finance Manual – Financial Management for Schools
• Financial Help for Families
• Outside School Hours Care – Decision Making Regarding the Provision of OSHC
• Philanthropic Partnerships
• Purchasing Vocational Education and Training
• School Council – Powers and Functions
• Sponsorship
• State Schools' Relief
• Student Dress Code
• Supporting Students in Out-of-Home Care
• Swimming Instruction and Water Safety Education
• Vocational Education and Training (VET) Delivered to Secondary Students

Relevant legislation

• Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006 (Vic)(opens in a new window)
• Education Training and Reform Act 2006 (Vic)(opens in a new window)

Contacts

Schools

For policy enquiries, schools can contact the School Operations and Governance Unit: parent.contributions@education.vic.gov.au

For financial enquiries, schools can contact Schools Financial Management Support Unit: schools.finance.support@education.vic.gov.au

Parents

Parents and carers can speak with their school about Parent Contributions arrangements.

For general queries about the Parent Contributions policy, parents and carers can contact the department: Contact details for the Department of Education(opens in a new window).

Parent Contributions Guidelines for Victorian Government Schools

These guidelines outline how schools must implement the Parent Contributions policy. The guidelines are mandatory for Victorian government schools.

The guidelines contain the following chapters:

• Finance requirements
• Communication requirements
• Applying the policy to specific examples

Finance requirements

School budgeting and reporting for Parent Contributions must follow the procedures outlined in the Finance Manual – Financial Management for Schools policy and this Parent Contributions policy. These include, but are not limited to:

• school councils must review and approve, in a timely manner, any invitation for voluntary contributions or other payments from parents and carers (including for extra-curricular items and activities) that the school develops
• any voluntary contributions and other payments must be recorded in CASES21
• receipts must be issued immediately to parents and carers upon receiving contributions or payments
• records of voluntary contributions and other payments must be kept confidential
• schools must not enter voluntary contributions or donations into CASES21 until they have been received
• voluntary contributions or donations must be recognised on a cash basis in CASES21 and an invoice must only be raised when the contribution is received. An invoice cannot be raised for the total amount ahead of time
• schools must not charge late payment fees or offer ‘pay-on-time discounts’ for voluntary contributions.

Voluntary contributions

Schools cannot treat unpaid voluntary contributions as a debt, because parents and carers are not required to contribute.

Invitations to make voluntary contributions must not include ‘unpaid’ contributions carried forward from the previous school year.

Any new invitation for additional voluntary contributions throughout the year must be reviewed and approved by the school council and must be compliant with the requirements of this policy.

Extra-curricular items and activities

If a parent or carer has agreed to pay for an extra-curricular item or activity, but has not made payment, schools can send reminders as appropriate.

Schools cannot deny students access to extra-curricular items and activities that parents or carers have paid for while following up on outstanding payments for other user-pays extra-curricular items and activities.

Schools must consider how to offer help to families experiencing financial hardship on a confidential and case-by-case basis. Schools must also exercise discretion prior to generating reminder notices for unpaid items and activities for families experiencing hardship. Schools can find information about how to help parents and carers in the Financial Help for Families policy and in the Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) policy.

Schools can request payment for the cost of extra-curricular items and activities including:

• cost of transport, food, entry fees and accommodation for students and teachers
• pro-rata salaries of education support staff, where these staff are used for provision of personalised tuition in extra-curricular activities (for example, instrumental music lessons)
• cost of casual relief teachers engaged for the purpose of supporting the extra-curricular activity during its operation, either on or off school premises.

The cost of extra-curricular items and activities cannot include the salaries of department teaching staff.

Schools must not charge merchant fees associated with any electronic payment transaction.

Any new invitation for extra-curricular items and activities throughout the year must be reviewed and approved by the school council and must be compliant with the requirements of this policy.

Use of third party administrative platforms to manage financial transactions

When using a third party administrative platform to collect voluntary contributions and other payments, schools must:

• work with the third party to make clear and agree upon the timing of when the school receives the funds from the third party
• consider how tax receipts are to be provided to parents donating to a tax-deductible Building Fund, Library Fund or to specialist schools
• ensure refunds are made and recorded in CASES21 and not facilitated through the third party.

Further guidance on using a third party platform to collect contributions is in the Parent Contributions Policy Financial Transaction Guide (DOCX) (staff login required)(opens in a new window).

Payment plans and flexible payment arrangements

Voluntary contributions

Schools can offer parents the ability to make voluntary contributions flexibly throughout the year. Schools cannot set payment dates, amounts or schedules for parents and carers to make voluntary contributions throughout the year.

If a parent wishes to make voluntary contributions in instalments, each contribution is viewed as a stand-alone contribution, and schools cannot enforce payment of any further instalments.

Schools using third party software to facilitate payments must ensure that options to make voluntary contributions in instalments meet the criteria outlined in the Parent Contributions Policy Financial Transaction Guide (DOCX) (staff login required)(opens in a new window).

Extra-curricular items and activities

Schools can offer parents and carers the ability to make payments for extra-curricular items and activities flexibly throughout the year by setting payment dates and amounts.

If full payment is not received for extra-curricular items or activities, schools are not required to provide the items or allow the student to participate in the activity.

Schools must comply with the requirements of the Financial Help for Families policy when deciding on extra-curricular items and activities to offer. Schools must also inform parents and carers about the Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF), which can help eligible families with the cost of some extra-curricular activities.

Parental disputes

Where there is a payment dispute between persons who share parental responsibility (for example, separated parents), it is recommended that the school avoid determining the dispute or adopting sides. Schools can send duplicate requests to all people with parental responsibility at their respective addresses (without disclosing the address of one parent to the other) and ask parents to decide who is responsible for making contributions and/or payments and in what proportions.

If only a partial payment is made for an extra-curricular item or activity, the school is not required to provide the student with access to the item or activity. Schools must follow their local school refund policy when deciding whether to refund and determining under what circumstances partial payments are refunded.

Refer to the Decision Making Responsibilities for Students policy for more information regarding parental disputes.

Refunds

Schools can choose whether to provide refunds to families and it is strongly recommended schools do so where it is reasonable and fair (for example, if the school has not incurred a cost).

The department's end of year Schools certification checklist requires schools to attest to whether they have a local refund policy. It is not compulsory for schools to have a standalone 'Refund policy'. Schools can address the issue of refunds in their Parent Contributions Arrangements either by using the text suggested in the template or linking to a local refund policy on the school website.

If the school has incurred costs, it is recommended the school acts reasonably and takes into consideration the Financial Help for Families policy and relevant arrangements, including support for families experiencing hardship. For example, it is recommended schools refund families for unavoidable event cancellations if a family experiences a crisis or sudden serious illness and the student can no longer attend the event.

If the school decides to provide a refund, parents or carers need to agree and inform the school where the refund is to be paid. If that agreement cannot be reached, the refund is usually paid into the account from which the money came. Where the payment was made in cash, it is recommended the school waits until the parents or carers reach an agreement and advise the school.

Schools must receive and receipt any funds collected using a third party and must not offset refunds or other payments against incoming funds.

Where a school has determined that a parent is eligible to receive a refund (for example, for a cancelled activity), the refund must be processed through CASES21 as a family payment. Refunds must not be processed through third party platforms.

Where schools have communicated Parent Contributions Arrangements that are not compliant with the Parent Contributions policy and parents pay for items and activities that were incorrectly presented as user-pays, it is recommended that schools offer refunds.

Refer to the Parent Contributions Policy Financial Transaction Guide (DOCX) (staff login required)(opens in a new window) for more detail.

Seeking payment for damage to school property

In most cases, a parent or carer is not legally responsible for damage caused by a student at school. Refer to the Claims for Property Damage and Medical Expenses policy for further information on this.

However, schools can request that parents or carers voluntarily contribute to the cost of damaged items owned by the school if their child was responsible for the damage.

Schools must allow student access to the curriculum whether or not the payment for damages is made. Before requesting payment for damaged goods, schools must consider factors including financial hardship and their Student Engagement policy.

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.

Standard wear and tear refers to normal deterioration of items from typical everyday use (for example, ripped pages in a textbook, scratches or scuff marks on stationery items). Standard wear and tear can also be agreed upon between the school and parents or carers.

If a student damages school infrastructure or buildings (for example, windows), schools must not request payments for damages. However, schools can invite all parents and carers to contribute towards building repairs (for example, building fund).

Tax deductions

Voluntary contributions are only tax deductible when they are explicitly provided to funds which have been endorsed by the Australian Taxation Office and have a Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status (for example, building funds or school library funds where the school holds DGR for these funds).

All specialist schools can apply for DGR status for the whole of the school’s operations. All voluntary contributions received by these schools are tax deductible when invited in accordance with the Parent Contributions policy. Mainstream schools, including those operating a specialist campus or stream, cannot apply for DGR status as an entity - only specific funds can be considered tax deductible.

Refer to the Finance Manual – Financial Management for Schools policy for guidance on how schools can apply for DGR status.

Communication requirements

Schools can communicate Parent Contributions Arrangements using any communication tool that is suitable for their school context. All communication must comply with the requirements of the Parent Contributions policy. This includes letters in the post, email, or using third party communication tools.

It is recommended that schools send communications about the following year’s arrangements 6 weeks prior to the end of the previous school year, to enable parents and carers to plan and budget for extra-curricular items and learning materials for students to own.

When inviting voluntary contributions, schools must use the Parent Contributions Arrangements – including voluntary contributions template (DOCX) (staff login required)(opens in a new window).

Schools can decide not to invite voluntary contributions at all. If schools are not inviting voluntary contributions, but are offering user-pays extra-curricular items or activities, or inviting parents or carers to buy learning items for students to own and use, they must use the department’s Parent Contributions Arrangements – extra-curricular and learning materials only template (DOCX) (staff login required)(opens in a new window).

For transparency, schools must publish Parent Contributions Arrangements on the school’s website. This includes publishing all the following on the same webpage, which will demonstrate compliance with the Minimum Standards for School Registration:

• Parent Contributions Arrangements (using a department approved template including the one-page informationfor families)
• Parent Contributions Arrangements covering each year level, where these are different from one another
• a link to the department’s Parent Contributions policy on PAL (this policy)
• learning materials for students to own (including textbooks, and digital device information, if applicable).

When inviting parents and carers to make voluntary contributions or other payments schools must:

• use the department’s approved templates, following all instructions, including not editing text that is marked as not to be edited, or adding any text
• advise carers of students in out-of-home care (as defined in the Supporting Students in Out-of-Home Care policy), and parents and carers who hold a financially means-tested card such as a health care card that the invitation to make voluntary contributions does not apply to them
• include information about the financial supports available, including the Camps Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF). Refer to the Financial Help for Families policy
• use language that is easy to understand, culturally appropriate and offer funded Interpreting and Translation Services for key school communications, if required
• use the department’s approved wording for reminder notices.

Schools must not:

• issue reminder notices about voluntary contributions more than once per term
• approach or communicate with students for the purpose of requesting or encouraging voluntary contributions from their parents or carers
• approach parents and carers for the purpose of encouraging or reminding them about voluntary contributions outside of once termly reminders
• use coercion or harassment including repeated contribution reminders.

Where a school has communicated Parent Contributions Arrangements that are not compliant with the Parent Contributions policy, the school must review its current arrangements and make the necessary modifications. The school must then publish an updated version of the arrangements on its website and provide it to the school community. It is recommended schools offer refunds to families where an item or activity was incorrectly presented as user-pays. Refer to the Refunds section for more information.

Approved wording for reminder notices

Schools can send personalised reminder notices about voluntary contributions to parents no more than once per term. Each reminder notice can include contribution invitations previously made for the current school year as well as new invitations.

Schools must not send reminder notices about voluntary contributions to carers of students in out-of-home care or parents or carers who hold a financially means-tested card such as a health care card. It is recommended that schools not send reminder notices to families who have sought financial assistance or have indicated they are experiencing financial hardship, consistent with the Financial Help for Families policy.

All reminder notices sent by schools, whether via letters in the post, email or using an online communication tool, must use the approved wording below:

When communicating with parents and carers during the year about final costs and/or dates for extra-curricular items and activities (which are user-pays), schools must include the following wording:

Recognition of voluntary contributions to building and/or library funds

Schools can only recognise voluntary contributions from parents and carers made to building and/or library funds. When recognising these contributions, schools must:

• ensure each student has the same access to curriculum items or activities regardless of whether a student’s parent or carer has contributed
• not give parents and carers who have made contributions to the building and/or library funds any material benefit, such as a curriculum or non-curriculum related gift, advertising space or naming rights
• recognise the contributions in ways that are non-material, for example, a letter of acknowledgement, inclusion on a donor board, or a mention in a school newsletter
• treat all parents and carers who contribute to these funds fairly and transparently. Similar contributions must be acknowledged in a similar way
• seek and receive consent from the parent or carer who contributed, prior to acknowledging them in public. Unless the parent or carer explicitly provides consent, any record of their contributions must be kept confidential
• ensure that public acknowledgements are not made in a way that could coerce or harass families that have not chosen to contribute.

Refer to the Philanthropic Partnerships policy and the Sponsorship policy for further information.

Contact person for Parent Contributions and financial help

The school must nominate suitable staff members to be school contacts for parents and carers who have queries about Parent Contributions or who want to discuss financial help options.

This may be one or more staff members, including the principal, business manager or staff members responsible for student welfare, who will be responsible for working with and responding to parents and carers.

Refer to the Financial Help for Families policy for further information.

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.

Sexuality and consent education

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.

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 the relevant VET tools and equipment for the duration required to access the curriculum.

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).

Refer to Vocational Education and Training Delivered to School Students policy and the Purchasing Vocational Education and Training policy for further information about VET.

Resources

Templates

• Parent Contributions Arrangements – including voluntary contributions template (DOCX) (staff login required)(opens in a new window)
• Parent Contributions Arrangements – extra-curricular and learning materials only template (DOCX) (staff login required)(opens in a new window)

Resources

• Parent Contributions policy – financial transaction guide (DOCX) (staff log-in required)(opens in a new window)

Information for families

• Parent Contributions policy – information for families (DOCX)(opens in a new window)