School meal price hikes could cause hardship for families

Under savings plans announced by the Education Authority (EA), the price of school meals for primary and special school students will rise by 50 pence, from £2.60 to £3.10.

Post-primary students will face a 19% increase in the cost of food purchased from the school canteen, while preschool prices will also rise.

Tracy Rossborough, a senior teacher at Ashfield Girls' High School in Belfast, said she was worried that families would not be able to afford the increase.

Students receiving free school meals, which will come into effect from January 2026, will not be affected by the increase. "We probably have three or four children from the same family, so it's a fairly significant increase over the entire week and month," Ms. Rossborough told BBC News NI. "For some of our young people, this will be the main meal of the day," she said, adding that this makes it even more concerning.

She added that canteen options allow students to choose healthy options, and "if this option is taken away from our young people and families, it would be really concerning for us."

Sophie is a student at Ashfield Girls' High School and uses the canteen daily.

She told BBC News NI that school meal prices are reasonable, but the increase could create difficulties for families.

Sophie said, "I understand the cost of ingredients and the effort that goes into preparing lunches, but I still think it's important to keep prices as low as possible, to be thoughtful and inclusive."

Anna, who attends Ashfield Girls' School, loves the canteen environment and is concerned that price increases could impact families who can afford school meals.

"I think this will be a struggle for many. A small difference in price can have a big impact on a family, especially if they are currently struggling with the cost of living."

He said he worries that the increase could cause "children to skip meals" or "feel guilty about buying food."

Brendan McGinn, principal of St. Mary's College in Derry, worries that the price hike will impact students from low-income families.

"An extra 50 pence a day may not seem like much, but over a year it equates to 90 pounds. It's an additional burden on families," he said.

Mr. McGinn accused the EA of not acting in the best interests of students.

"I know the EA is facing serious financial difficulties and operating within a tight budget, but its business plan is focused on meeting the needs of children. This announcement doesn't even address the basic needs of young people."

Hannah Kennedy is head girl at St. Mary's College in Londonderry.

She said some of her classmates will now have to choose between bringing packed lunches, eating less, or not eating at all.

She believes this will negatively impact their studies because "it's really hard to concentrate in school if you haven't eaten all day."

She said some students will hesitate to ask their parents for more money and will go without eating.

Around 210,000 school meals are eaten daily, although around 90,000 students are eligible for free school meals.

The EA said there has been no increase in the cost of school meals since 2017/18, despite inflation rising by around 35% during that time.

They said each school meal costs an average of £4.28 to prepare.

The EA has stated that it is facing a £300 million financial shortfall and, unlike in previous years, does not expect to receive additional annual funding to cover this shortfall.

The authority previously instructed school principals to limit the hiring of new staff and the use of substitute teachers to save money.

But the new savings measures will directly impact families and some of the things they pay for school.

'Temporary Budgetary Shortfall'

The EA will also attempt to reduce the amount spent on school transportation.

The authority described the rising cost of taxis as "a matter of serious concern."

The EA said that the total annual bill for taxi use has more than doubled over the past five years—from approximately £20 million in 2020/2021 to approximately £40 million in 2024/2025.

The EA also said it would terminate some agency contracts and cut overtime pay for its staff. "Education services in NI have been facing increasing and temporary budgetary shortfalls for several years," the EA said in a statement.

"Staying within allocated funding while meeting growing service needs has been a growing challenge."

"Therefore, unfortunately, the Education Authority has had to identify a number of significant savings measures."

The authority expects to save up to £30 million from the measures it has announced, but it said the EA Board has not supported other unannounced savings measures due to the scale of their potential impact.

savings may require changes to legislation or policy by legislators.