International students and workers are being forced to leave their children in home countries while the ACT government reaped more than $1.4 million this year from the fees.

Foreign parents must pay $10,400 for every primary school student, $13,600 for each student in junior secondary school and $15,200 for any child in senior secondary school. Australian citizens and permanent residents send their kids to the same schools for free, with only a voluntary donation of a few hundred dollars commonly asked for.

ACT Human Rights Commissioner Helen Watchirs said reforms to the directorate's policies in the past year had been a significant improvement in widening free school options, but concerns about discrimination remained.

"In my opinion, it is possible that in particular cases the charging of certain temporary residents to attend ACT public schools (K-12) may be unlawful under the Human Rights Act and the Discrimination Act," she said.

"At minimum, there is a strong case to suggest that free primary school education should be provided to all, regardless of their immigration status."

The Human Rights Act provides a right to free education, and Ms Watchirs said this right applied to all in the territory.

But the ACT government has said it already exempts the majority of temporary resident students from the fees, with 395 approved to study without cost this year, or 66 per cent of all temporary residents enrolled in public schools.

Fee exemptions apply to holders of a refugee, humanitarian or protection visa, or asylum seekers on a bridging visa applying for one of those visas. Those working in an area of skill shortage or studying a higher degree by research are also exempt.

There were 33 current visa categories where parents had to pay full price for their students.

An ACT Education Directorate spokeswoman said the ACT government was in line with all other jurisdictions across Australia in requiring the payment of the international student tuition fees.

"The Education Act (ACT) requires that education is to be free and no fees are chargeable, with the exception of those who hold a temporary visa under the federal Migration Act," she said.

"By the conclusion of the academic year, the directorate anticipates that the percentage of fee-exempt dependants will rise to 70-75 per cent, which has been the case historically for the past five years."

"Unlawful" discrimination against someone because of their immigration status will be expressly forbidden under the ACT's Discrimination Act from April next year, however a general exception means such discrimination would be legal if it was "reasonable".

The number of full-fee-paying students who are dependants of temporary residents has remained steady since 2012, with 134 this year, a tiny portion of the more than 40,000 students enrolled in ACT public schools, kindergarten to year 12, this year.

Left behind and private school only real options for Bhutanese 10-year-old

Peyma Choden came from Bhutan to Australia, her "land of dreams", looking to improve her career options with a masters in education studies.

The teacher with 15 years' experience was joined by her husband, but the costs of educating their 10-year-old daughter, Dolma, at a Canberra school meant she had to be left at home with Ms Choden's elderly mother.

"I had no choice because of the fees," she said.

The expenses of life in the capital, topped by the self-funded masters, meant the couple could afford only one trip back to Bhutan, after the death of Ms Choden's mother mid-year. By the start of the next year, 2015, they decided they could not live any longer without their daughter. They enrolled Dolma in a northside public primary school at the dispiriting cost of $10,400 for the year, excluding uniforms and stationery.

Ms Choden's student visa limited her to 20 hours per week of work. Her husband stepped up, working 58 hours a week since July last year as a cleaner in both a day and night job.

"He was exhausted, but he always pulled himself up strong," she said.

Dozens of other Bhutanese parents were doing the same.

"It is possible if you work day and night. You can do it if you suffer a lot," she said.

This year, they found a cheaper option – at a Catholic school. The concessional price was $4000.

Now graduated and working ahead of an expected permanent return home in 2017, Ms Choden called for a change in education policy for hard-working visitors.

"We're paying tax for all our work. We are on our own private health insurance," she said.