Victorian law is clear that a public education is meant to be free. But walk into any of the state’s schools and you’ll find the library and the wellbeing program leaning on money parents hand over ‘voluntarily’ each year. So, it begs the question… how ‘free’ is public education, really?
In October, the ABC reported that Victoria’s Department of Education directed schools to tell parents that all curriculum-based instruction and resources, including textbooks, are free and that there is "no expectation or pressure for families to contribute" voluntarily. Similar advice was posted on the Department's website.
In some cases, contributions were also discussed as indicators of school improvement and financial performance.
While the Department’s update was framed as cost-of-living relief for families, the Australian Principals Federation has warned that fewer parents would contribute as a result, leaving schools to weigh up which programs, resources and experiences they could still afford.
The hidden cost of a ‘free’ education
Keen to better understand the implications of this, Dr Sarah Langman from ACU’s National School of Education and a team of researchers from the University analysed 1,561 Victorian Government school annual reports from 2024 and identified 286 (about 18% of Victorian Government schools) that explicitly discussed voluntary parent contributions.
The study’s lead author is Dr Sarah Langman, a former primary school teacher in the Victorian government system. She said the research raises some big questions about how 'voluntary' parent payments are when so many schools treat them as essential.
“Our study really focused on how schools frequently described these voluntary parent contributions as supporting important resources and opportunities in their schools,” Dr Langman told The Educator.
“Schools often celebrated contributions, increases in contributions, and also explained declines, which also suggests that contribution levels are seen as quite significant in and of themselves, let alone for what they can provide to school.”
Dr Langman said the gap between policy and reality raises an uncomfortable question for public schools.
“I think that we do need to ask about this really important tension that contributions are officially voluntary in the policy context, yet many schools still describe them as important to what they can provide,” she said. “And it’s important to note here that schools aren't talking about outlandish things that they're using these contributions for – they’re talking about things like camps, excursions, wellbeing initiatives, First Aid, and libraries.”
Funding boost leaves today’s gaps unfilled
The research lands days after Federal Education Minister Jason Clare and Victorian Premier Ben Carroll announced a deal to fully fund the state’s public schools.
Under the agreement, the Commonwealth will commit an extra $3.5bn over the next decade, with the state adding more than $13bn above 2026 spending levels.
“This funding will no doubt make a significant difference because it will increase that future certainty for schools, but I still think we need to be mindful that schools are operating in the present,” Dr Langman said. “So, I don't think that we can assume that voluntary contributions won't be important until these funding arrangements are fully realised in the Victorian context.”
Dr Langman said the issue ultimately goes well beyond school budgets.
“Realistically, we're thinking about more broadly the value of a public education here,” she said. “I’ve taught and led in government schools for many years, and so I know firsthand that government schools work every day to serve such diverse communities and create incredible opportunities for the young people in their care.”
Dr Langman said the research isn’t about pointing fingers at schools.
“The questions raised by our research are not whether schools are doing the right thing by inviting these voluntary contributions when policy is adamant about a free education, but more about how we can best support schools to continue that excellent work that they actually do,” she said.
“Something that really stood out in our research was schools aren't asking for money – they're talking about the opportunities that they want to provide for their students.”
Dr Langman said this raises bigger questions about how to make sure every public school is properly resourced to give students the opportunities they deserve, no matter how much parents in that community can contribute.
An important reflection for policymakers
Dr Langman said this is a national issue and data from the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority show that fees, charges and parent contributions average about $620 per student in Victorian Government schools, second only to South Australia.
“I think what I want from all of this is for every child to be able to access a high-quality public education without their family's financial circumstances limiting any potential opportunities,” Dr Langman said. “And I want to ensure that schools are adequately supported by the government to accomplish this.”
Dr Langman said the extra funds schools now rely on to deliver their programs raise a fundamental question: is a truly free public education even possible today?
“School funding arrangements have always been a contentious issue, and we often hear about the divide between public and private funding, which is also equally important,” she said.
“But just examining our current public school system and the additional funds that are being required by schools in order to actualise all of the programs and all of the wonderful things that they these schools do really does prompt us to kind of think about what is a free public education and is it actually even a possibility in our current society?”