The decision by Education officials to ban Thirst Music School from providing lessons during curriculum time at St Sampson’s High School seems to be a classic case of a rigid policy overriding common sense.
While the department hides behind a bureaucratic rule that parents cannot be charged for tuition delivered during the school day, the real-world fallout is a devastating blow to student enrichment. For many families, this blanket ban marks the end of their child’s musical education, beyond school provision.
What about full-time working parents who cannot leave the office mid-afternoon to act as a taxi service? What about families who do not drive, or those who simply cannot afford the full rates of after school or weekend studios? By using empty school spaces efficiently during the day, these lessons were accessible, affordable, and inclusive. Now, music is being turned into an exclusive luxury for a privileged few.
Furthermore, the department’s logic is completely hypocritical. If it is an unshakeable policy that no parental financial contributions can be taken for activities during curriculum hours, why are parents routinely asked to contribute to off-site educational trips and workshops? Why are field trips acceptable, but learning an instrument is banned?
Education should be about opening doors for young people, not slamming them shut. The Committee for Education, Sport & Culture needs to urgently review this decision, stop punishing working-class families, and let Thirst Music School back into our classrooms.
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