Minister releases report on school fees

Education Minister John Ottenheimer today released School Fees: A Discussion Paper and Framework for Action which examines the school fees issue from many perspectives including the point of view of parents, teachers, school administrators, school board personnel and government itself.

This comprehensive report clarifies for the public, what constitutes a legitimate school fee, and the difference between school fees as defined by legislation, fund-raising activities and the cost of materials parents are expected to purchase for their child in preparation for the school year.

"It should be noted that government spends, on average, approximately $7,700 for the public education of each K-12 student in the province," said the minister. "In addition to government funding, school fees contribute to a school's ability to offer many additional educational opportunities to students. Refusing to pay, when one can afford to, limits a school's ability to provide those enriching opportunities to children."

Through consultation it was clearly communicated that government should not consider eliminating any fees or restricting fund-raising activities without identifying funding to replace the money collected through these efforts. At this time government, is not in a financial situation to pursue this option.

The minister noted that all stakeholders must work together to ensure no child is stigmatized within a school environment because of a legitimate inability to pay. "It is important that we are sensitive to the fact that school fees and other school-related costs can pose a financial burden on some families, and we must work together to develop contingency plans for those who may be genuinely unable to pay the full cost," said the minister.

As outlined in the report the Department of Education will take a number of actions to clarify issues around school fees and help develop, in partnership with school boards, certain standard guidelines and practices for the imposition of fees within schools.

The department will work with school boards to ensure schools authorities are aware of the need to strike a balance between the number of co-curricular activities that require parental contribution and the ability of the school community to afford any associated costs.

The department has developed a Web site devoted to the issue of school fees and other school-related costs which includes specific information on legislated school fees and answers to frequently asked questions. This site can be viewed at //www.gov.nl.ca/edu/fees/pdf/schoolfeesreport.pdf. Web links to individual school board policies, and other information will be posted as it is available.

The department will continue to work with school boards to ensure all board-based school fees policies are consistently implemented and monitored, on a regular basis, in schools within their jurisdiction.

Media contact: Lynn Salter, Communications, (709) 729-0048 or 685-5000

2004 09 01                  10:20 a.m.