Australia claims to have free public education, but public schools are increasingly asking parents to pay voluntary fees and levies ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars annually.

The Conversation reports these fees raise questions about whether free public education still exists in practice.

Mate, we're handing Rio Tinto $2 billion while public schools pass the hat to parents. Something's broken in how we fund the basics.

Schools say they have no choice. Government funding covers basic costs and salaries, but doesn't stretch to maintain facilities, upgrade technology, or provide adequate materials. So they turn to parents. This creates obvious equity issues - schools in wealthy areas can raise significant funds, while schools in disadvantaged areas fall further behind.