Fee rise 'could make music preserve of the affluent'

The principal of a Belfast primary school has said he fears music could become the "preserve of the affluent" due to a rise in the fees for young people to learn it.

The Education Authority (EA) is to increase fees for music tuition and instrument hire for schools and pupils by 10-20% from January 2026.

Almost 13,000 pupils were registered with the EA music service in 2024/25, including 1,400 entitled to free school meals.

The rise in music charges is the latest of a range of savings measures introduced by the EA in response to a shortfall in its budget of about £300m.

Kevin McArevey, principal of Holy Cross Boys Primary, said the news was "a big shock, especially in a school where we value music so highly".

He added: "We definitely didn't plan for it and we're going to have to absorb the money some way into the budget and that's going to affect probably other essential services such as classroom assistants, maintenance - any other costs that come with running a school."

Mr McArevey said families on low incomes "are going to struggle"

"Dare I say this? Music might become the preserve of the affluent."

Two boys at the school - P7 pupils Jake and Jack - told BBC News NI what playing instruments means to them.

Jack, who plays the bassoon, said: "It helps get my emotions out, if I'm ever sad or angry or anything."

He said if he wasn't able to play the bassoon he thinks he would be "a lot more emotional, because I wouldn't be able to get my emotions out".

Jack who plays the trumpet, added: "Some people don't have as much money so they might have to quit it, but it's their dream - they might want to go on and have a career playing an instrument.

"No matter what, you should just be able to do it."

Siobhan Martin, a music specialist at the school said every boy at the school plays a musical instrument.

"We feel that music is at the centre of our curriculum," she said.

"We know how important it is for the pupil's self-esteem, for their organisational skills, for literacy and numeracy.

"If there's an increase in price, then of course we have to pass that on to parents and it will be impossible, it will now become something that the elite can access only."

Angie O'Reilly, a self-employed music tutor in Belfast, said music is the "heart of the school" and a reduction in or removal of lessons would be "an absolute disaster".

Speaking on Good Morning Ulster, Ms O'Reilly said: "Music shouldn't just be for the financially elite, music should be for everybody.

"The Education Authority have to work out where they can get this money from and I don't think that the music service should be the first people to have to suffer here".

Fiona Kane the principal of St Ronan's College in Lurgan called the proposed increase in music tuition and instrument hire "deeply concerning."

"At a time when access to the arts is already limited for many families, this move risks sending the wrong message during a cost-of-living crisis- that music education is only for the most affluent," she said.

"In St Ronan's College, located in an area of Neighbourhood Renewal, we currently have 65 young people accessing the EA Music Service with 10 tutors providing peripatetic tuition across a range of disciplines such as strings, guitar, drums and singing."

Neighbourhood Renewal areas are deprived areas that were chosen in 2003 to receive additional support from local government.

The rise in music charges is the latest of a range of savings measures introduced by the EA in response to a shortfall in its budget of around £300m.

The authority is seeking a 10% cut in fares for taxi drivers who transport children to school.

The price of school dinners is also due to rise by almost 20% from January, though pupils entitled to free school meals will not be affected.

The EA had previously said that it was seeking savings from its music service, which provides music tuition and instruments to pupils in schools across Northern Ireland.

But the exact scale of the increase in music charges that pupils and schools will face has now been revealed in a paper from the EA, seen by BBC News NI.

Often if a primary school has no teacher of music on its staff, it will book group lessons from music tutors from the EA's music service.

But primaries will be charged more for visits and lessons from music tutors to teach children how to play an instrument.

Post-primary schools and pupils will also face increased fees, and the money pupils and schools pay to hire instruments will also rise.

Most instruments cost £50 a year for schools and pupils to hire, but that fee will rise from January.

Ms Kane said giving pupils access to literature, theatre, museums, and music had "a proven correlation with positive life chances".

"Rather than cutting back, we should be investing more to ensure every child can benefit from access to these opportunities," she said.

Children entitled to free school meals who currently receive free music lessons and instrument hire will also now be charged, though they will still receive a significant discount of 70% on their fees.

The EA has also said that it is exploring options to reduce other school transport costs but would have to consult on its plans at a later date.

The principal of Rathcoole Primary in Newtownabbey, Emma Quinn, said music had always been at the heart of the school.

"In past years we have provided fully funded music lessons by the EA music service, including payment of full lessons, instruments and more," she said.

Ms Quinn added the cost of music provision, whether EA or a private service, has and will be a barrier to many families and students.

"We had clarinets, flutes and were offered whole class percussion tutoring," she said.

"With increasing costs, these essential and important creative outlets, will be cut.

"To develop the child as a whole, we must not lose these services, due to a hiking cost."

The Education Authority has said that - unlike in previous years - additional significant funding allocations to address the shortfall are not expected.

"We have made clear that this is not a situation anyone at EA wants to be in," a spokesman said.

In relation to music service savings, it added: "At this time there will be no change to the existing policy of a 70% reduction in fees for children entitled to free school meals.

"We will continue to work with families and schools to advise and support them with any changes to their payment arrangements."