Principals expect crackdown on school charges

Principals are bracing for a crackdown when the government's new school donation scheme begins next year, after the change highlighted that many schools are charging parents for things they shouldn't be having to pay for. Families are often charged for field trips and course costs - but the Education Ministry says those payments are voluntary. Principals say some schools were not fully aware of the rules, but others have been deliberately fudging them for years.