New Zealand's biggest boys' schools are asking parents to pay more than at neighbouring girls' schools this year - a pattern that one principal says could well be sexist. Auckland Grammar School, a boys' school, has hiked its requested donation from $1350 last year to $1425 this year - far higher than any other state school. Hamilton Girls' High School, Tauranga Girls' College, McAuley High girls' school in South Auckland and Queens High girls' school in Dunedin have all joined a Government scheme to stop asking parents for donations - but Hamilton Boys' High, Tauranga Boys' College, South Auckland's De La Salle boys' college and Dunedin's Kings High boys' school have shunned the scheme. Association of Boys' Schools president David Ferguson, whose own school Westlake Boys' High is asking parents for $625 this year compared with $545 at Westlake Girls', said the boys' schools on the list all had high costs. Westlake Boys' High School headmaster David Ferguson says he "will keep an eye" on differences between girls' and boys' schools' requested donations.

Source: New Zealand Herald January 24, 2021 16:02 UTC