School kids miss out in bonus scheme

SCHOOLCHILDREN are turning up for lessons without basic stationery and textbooks, despite a Gillard Government handout of $290 million to help Queensland parents equip their kids.

Under the controversial new Schoolkids Bonus scheme, taxpayers have already forked out $128 million to 260,000 families in Queensland, with further payments due in July.

The bonus aims to help parents pay for books and stationery, as well as uniforms, school trips and sport registration fees.

But teachers say the costly scheme has failed, with too many students arriving for class without essential books and equipment.

One teacher said some parents were spending the bonus on themselves.

"There is no way the Government can monitor how this money is being spent," he said.

"What's disappointing is the parents who take the money yet still contribute nothing to their kids' schooling.

"As a result, teachers end up spending their own money, or the school has to take money out of its own budget, and the children miss out on other things instead."

The Schoolkids Bonus was introduced in January to replace the Education Tax Refund, in which parents claimed for equipment using receipts as proof of purchase.

Under this system, the cost to taxpayers was $136 million paid to Queensland families for the 2009-10 tax year and $147 million paid for 2010-11. The Government estimates this year's Schoolkids Bonus payments in Queensland will total $290 million.

The payments are delivered automatically to families receiving Family Tax Benefit A in two lump sums of $205 for primary school kids and $410 for secondary school children.

Queensland Teachers Union president Kevin Bates (pictured) said the money should be allocated to schools rather than to parents to "support students regardless of their home circumstances".

"People say parents are drinking and smoking their Schoolkids Bonus away, but I think the real problem is some families find it hard to feed and clothe their children, so buying school resources is a much lower priority," he said.

A spokesman for the Government's Department of Families said the Schoolkids Bonus "provides parents with financial support upfront, which means they'll have money when they need it most".

He added: "Under the Education Tax Refund, one million families weren't claiming what they were entitled to - either claiming less than the full amount or claiming nothing."

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