MPs have been told vulnerable children could be put at risk by proposed legislation allowing the police to charge community groups for vetting checks.
The Law and Order Select Committee is hearing submissions on the legislation, under which the police could charge for some services.
Post Primary Teachers Association president Angela Roberts said when the cost of police vetting staff and others was pushed out to schools, rich schools would be able to pay for it and poor schools would not.
"Our most vulnerable kids in our most vulnerable communities are the ones who shouldn't have to be finding money to vet people, what they should be doing is being able to support their communities to work together to have more volunteers, more parents, more whanau involved."
Ms Roberts said schools would end up only vetting only essential staff.
She said the Government should take responsibility and continue paying for police vetting.
The committee is due to report back to Parliament by 4 May.