Province issues guidelines on school fees
Posted March 25, 2011 7:12 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The provincial government issued new guidelines Friday on the fees schools can impose after an advocacy group released a report that showed several schools collected course fees for art, physical education and music classes.
Schools can no longer charge students for basic elements of their education, including text books; musical instruments; science supplies and lab materials; guest speakers or class trips where the topic covered is mandatory to complete a course.
The province now requires school boards to set up financial support programs to help students participate in all activities, regardless of their income status.
Fees are still permitted for items such as graduation trips, student agendas, yearbooks and events, the province said.
“When schools or school boards choose with the support of the school community to offer enhanced or optional programming, parents may be asked to contribute resources in the way of time, money or materials to support these programs or activities. While no student should be excluded from participating in any school activity or event based on the ability to pay, some activities or events may require some recovery of the cost for participation,” the guidelines state.
People for Education released a report Thursday that shows some Ontario high schools raised as much as $90,000 in course fees while others raised under $1,000.
The group said 53 per cent of high schools charge fees for art classes, 41 per cent charge fees for physical education, and 26 per cent have fees for music courses.
“The prevalence of fees clearly illustrates the many loopholes in Ontario’s Education Act and in current fee guidelines. In some schools, students must pay a Student Activity Fee in order to receive their class timetables; in others, students are charged for French workbooks and science lab materials,” People for Education executive director Annie Kidder said in a statement.
“It is clear from our survey results that in schools where parents can afford it, students have access to higher quality learning materials, better equipment for sports and arts, and greater enrichment opportunities.”
People for Education said the average course fee has increased for the second straight year, sitting at $25.
The group also said student activity fees are on the rise and said the amount varies from $5 to $100 per student. On top of these charges, some kids had to shell out for an athletics fee for after-school sports. This school year, athletic fees ranged from $10 to $1,800, People for Education said.
With files from The Canadian Press.
