which school costs are there?.

If your child goes to primary or secondary school you will face various costs for education. There is a voluntary parent contribution and you often have to buy school supplies. What costs are there when your child goes to school? Who pays which bill? And what are the rules? We will explain this to you.

Four categories of school costs

There are rules about what schools can ask parents and what you must or do not have to pay. To make this clearer, school costs are divided into four categories:

• Costs for school
• Costs for parents
• Costs digital learning tools
• The voluntary parent contribution

Category 1: Costs for school

Some costs must be paid by the school. Parents do not have to pay for these. School books and teaching materials are part of this, but also locker rental or exam training. The school also pays for materials needed for additional education like extra classes or bilingual education.

Category 2: Costs for parents

Schools are not required to pay for all school costs. Parents pay for items that last a long time and are personal. Think of an atlas, dictionary, planner, calculator, writing tools and sports or practical clothes.

Category 3: Costs of digital learning tools

More and more schools require a laptop or tablet. The rules about this confuse many parents. Yet the rule is simple. Can your child not follow education without a laptop, tablet, or computer? Then the school must pay or provide an alternative. The school can ask for a voluntary contribution but cannot make it compulsory.

Category 4: The voluntary parent contribution

Many schools ask parents for a voluntary parent contribution. Schools use it for extra activities like a school trip, sports day, or Christmas dinner. The voluntary parent contribution is for things or activities that the school does not get funding from the government for or has no budget for. Not paying must never lead to your child being excluded from an activity.

In September 2023, a list was made with things that may not be included in the voluntary parent contribution and also may not be charged separately to parents. This includes costs like locker rental, exam paper, or a subscription for the bike storage.

Midday supervision and lunch breaks

Schools can decide how to divide the school hours during the day and week. Sometimes this choice brings costs for parents. If your child’s school uses a continuous schedule, the break is part of the required school time. This is also called midday supervision. In this case, parents can never be forced to pay for the lunch break. The school can however ask for a voluntary contribution. If parents can pick up their child for lunch, or choose for their child to stay at school during lunch, the school does not have a continuous schedule and can require a financial contribution.

After-school care

Costs for after-school care vary by organization and type of care. Parents must pay for this themselves. If the chosen organization meets all tax office conditions, parents have a right to childcare allowance. The amount of allowance depends on your (combined) income and your costs for care.