The Enrolment Policy of the Board of Christian Community School Limited (trading as Regents Park Christian School) in relation to Rebates states that:
The School offers appropriate rebates on school fees for parents with genuine needs. Rebates are not given automatically but are subject to a new application by parents each year. All rebate applications are treated confidentially, with the Principal and the General Manager being responsible for their processing and approval.
Students are not disqualified from acceptance based on financial grounds. The School executive has consistently applied this principle.
Clarification of the Policy
The Board further clarifies the policy as follows:
- Parents choose to send their children to the School. Parents are therefore responsible for the cost of this decision which should not be taken lightly.
- It is not the responsibility of others to pay for the consequences of this choice.
- No rebates are therefore given automatically.
- Tempering the above is one of the underpinning tenets on which the school was founded, namely that of Christian Community. Christian Community is interpreted in this context to mean those parents that are able to pay full fees
should do so, and that assistance should only be sought in cases of genuine need (as opposed to perceived need). In cases of genuine need, the school community will help out to the extent that is feasible given the overall ability of the community to assist at any point in time. - Given the above, financial grounds refers to genuine financial need. This means there has to be a demonstrated financial need acceptable to the School, which the school believes the community should be willing to support but only to the extent that it is feasible at the point in time the assistance is sought.
- Notwithstanding the diversity and subjectiveness of lifestyle choices existing in any community, such assistance is not offered to subsidise lifestyles that are considered outside of ordinary and reasonable parameters, with the
interpretation of “lifestyle” and “reasonable” being determined by the school. It will by necessity be judged on the financial decisions made by families compared to other families seeking assistance. - The true sense for this policy is that parents must believe that Christian education is a priority and demonstrate commitment to this belief both financially and in relation to their involvement in the life of the school.
- It is important to remember that Rebates offered by the School are a sacrifice made by the school community and as such are basically subsidised by those families who are paying full fees.
- The School, through its Executive, is the final arbiter of the parameters by which this policy is implemented.
- All rebate decisions are based upon the availability of school funds.
- Needs-based rebates are offered to families on a conditional basis whereby the family not only must demonstrate a genuine financial need but also a commitment to the school and active involvement in a Christian church. Rebates may be withdrawn if there is evidence that the family is not maintaining its commitment to the School where this commitment includes:
- Paying the amount determined by the School and never being in arrears by more than one term;
- Adherence to any payment agreement by automatic electronic methods as specified by the School;
- Satisfactory attendance and application (as defined by the school) at School by the student or students each semester;
- Supporting and upholding the teaching program, discipline and academic care program as well as allowing the student to participate in the spiritual program of the School.
Confidentiality
Rebates are offered in confidence. The school will not divulge personal information to other parties neither will parents divulge rebate information to others. Students are to be treated equally and will not be made aware of any difference in their tuition fees by the school.
