Hi there!
This probably won't help much but....
everyone pays school fees.
However, it will depend on what school you chose, whether you chose to go private and whether you're have a school card. Primary schools are obv. cheaper than high schools. We pay around $240 for my son at primary (and primary school runs until the end of yr 7 so you'll have a while to get used to it!) plus an excursion fee of about $35. When my daughter attended his school the fee was simply doubled. We still have to pay for the odd excursion, but most are covered. School camps are popular and attract an extra cost. The fee covers most things, including pencils, textas, etc but I think this can differ from school to school. He's at a state primary; my friend pays around $100 a month (I think) for her daughter to attend a Catholic primary and I think there are extra charges levied as necessary.
The school card is a means-tested card which, like the widow's pension etc, lowers the amount you have to pay...if you need to pay any, but doesn't cover the excursion fee. My friend has had a pension for many years and only discovered late 2006 that her payment of school fees was seen as a voluntary thing - much to her shock 'cos she'd been finding the money each year to pay!- so if you just ask the school, they will guide you.
I don't know anything about the different visas but this was what we paid as
PR holders and it hasn't changed since we became citizens. I'm sure someone intelligent will be able to help a bit more!
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