Mattie McGrath: Families priced out of extracurriculars
Mattie McGrath addresses how rising household costs are eroding the benefits of the school book scheme and pushing families to cover uniforms, extracurriculars and digital devices. He warns that the loss of supports and growing bills mean many children are being excluded from music, sport and other opportunities because parents cannot afford them.
Acknowledging the book scheme
Mattie McGrath recognises that the school book scheme has delivered genuine savings and removed a significant burden from many households. He says that scheme has made a real difference and should be acknowledged as positive policy.
Costs swallowing savings
McGrath outlines how parents report that those savings are being swallowed up by higher food, energy, insurance and childcare bills. He highlights the impact of the loss of double child payments and other cost-of-living supports at a time of rising bills across daily life.
Extracurriculars and inequality
The speech singles out extracurricular activities and music lessons as areas where ability to participate increasingly depends on parental means. McGrath cites private lesson fees and instrument costs that place talent and opportunity out of reach for many families.
Uniforms, devices and practical fixes
He criticises branded uniform requirements and supplier restrictions that force families to pay more, and questions why parents are expected to purchase laptops and devices. McGrath calls for practical measures: freedom to buy generic uniforms, creative supports to help families buy equipment, and policies to keep extracurriculars accessible.
Consequences and next steps
The address frames these pressures as harms to child development, confidence and equal opportunity. McGrath urges policymakers to recognise the uneven burdens on families and to act so that children's talents are nurtured rather than priced out.
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While we often discuss the cost of education in terms of books, uniforms and transport, the reality for many families is that the financial pressures associated with rearing children have never been greater. I want to acknowledge that the school book scheme has been a very positive development. It has delivered genuine savings and parents have removed a significant burden from many households. That support has made a real difference and it is important that we recognise it. However, parents are telling us that their savings are increasingly being swallowed up by a wide range of other costs. The loss of the double child payments and other costs of living supports has come at a time when families are facing rising bills across every aspect of daily life. Parents are not just paying for school education, they are paying more for food, energy, insurance and childcare. One issue that deserves particular attention is the cost of extracurricular activities. Too often participation in these activities depends not on the child's talent or interest, but on the ability of the parents to pay. This is creating an uneven divide and opportunities to many children and is downright wrong. It shouldn't be like that. If parents have an enthusiasm for a certain music or whatever talent they have, they should be nurtured. They should be encouraged and supported, used to be the old adage. Music education is a perfect example. Some schools provide excellent music programmes and opportunities for students to learn instruments and participate in assemblies. Other schools offer very little. When lessons are available privately, parents can be paying up to a 25 euro lesson and more before even the cost of purchasing and maintaining the instruments. For many families, this is simply beyond their reach. These experiences are highly important to child development and confidence and never more important. Yet too many families are being priced out. We must also recognise the growing costs associated with uniforms. Despite the guidance promoting affordable uniforms, many parents are still required to purchase expensive, requested and branded items. Parents also face substantial bills simply because they are required to buy specific items from a specific supplier. That's not fair and it's not a fair balance either. There's no good reason why generic uniforms or PE clothing cannot be used in most cases. Parents should have the freedom to shop around and buy affordable items themselves. Competition here is the spice of trade always. It keeps the price down. Alongside these pressures, parents are increasingly faced with the expectation that they provide laptops and digital devices for their children. While technology is very important, why should the parents be carrying that? Families that we have also seen have benefited from the school book scheme. As I said, we should be creative here as well and try and assist families in purchasing these very expensive necessary equipment. And fines are being made here for a laptop all day in school and going home and social media all night is not good for the holistic development of the children. Thank you. For more UN videos visit www.un.org
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