Teachers back Labour's school plan
Labour's plan to end "voluntary" school donations will help New Zealand return to the principle of free education, teachers say.
The party says if it wins the election there will be an annual grant of $100 per student to schools, as long as they don't ask parents for donations to cover day-to-day costs.
"Some schools have adopted dubious tactics to get these so-called voluntary donations, including repeatedly sending children home with letters and, in one case, giving children `donation paid' tags to attach to their bags," Labour leader David Cunliffe said when he announced the initiative on Wednesday.
Schools collected $97 million in donations in 2012.
The average asked for by decile one schools was $59 and for decile 10 schools it was $278.
The post-primary teachers association (PPTA) says it's a good move.
"The PPTA has long opposed the inequities in school funding and the principle of free quality education for all has been eroded in recent years," said president Angela Roberts.
"It's a well-documented fact that low decile schools are the least likely to be able to raise significant funds from their communities yet it costs more to give their students the education they need."
