The parent, who wished to remain anonymous, contacted the Otago Daily Times after she was charged $12 a person, including her son, to attend the school's blues awards ceremony.
She questioned the charge when she picked up tickets for the event and said she was told the college's blues night was better than any other in Dunedin and nibbles were provided.
However, she and her family sat at the rear of the school hall on the night and by the time the nibble platters reached their table of eight, only five club sandwiches were left, two of which were "dishevelled", she said.
Those at her table thought the lack of food was unacceptable and could not believe the children had to pay to receive their awards, she said.
"I thought it was quite strange . . . you just couldn't justify it."
Taieri College senior manager Wayne McFarlane said the night was expensive for the school.
"Education has never been free," he said and believed parents understood the need to charge for such an event.
The money helped cover the costs of food and refreshments and the price had not changed in five years, he said.
Principal Christina Herrick said the school "had funding for teaching and learning, not for food and drink" and felt justified in charging people for consumable items.
Unlike Taieri College, other schools had higher sports fees and "old boys' and girls' networks" which gave financial assistance, she said.
The caterers charged $9 a head for the food, with beverages on top of that, which allowed the school to break even financially on the night.
The blues night recognised academic, sporting and cultural excellence in pupils and is run as a separate event to the school's prizegiving ceremony.
However, other Dunedin schools contacted yesterday did not charge for parents or pupils to attend any awards ceremonies.
Otago Boys High School rector Clive Rennie said the school did not charge for parents or pupils to attend awards evenings unless a sit-down meal was involved.
He said the school budgeted yearly for the cost of award ceremonies.
Otago Girls High School also budgeted for its blues nights and cut some costs by making the provided nibbles, principal Jan Anderson said.
She believed it was important to make such events easily accessible for all and was against charging people to attend.
Logan Park High School administrator Melissa Rodgers was surprised by Taieri College's $12 charge.
She said the school held its blues awards during the day and put on a free lunch for pupils and parents who attended.
