Geetika Sharma and her husband are paying $5,000 for a nine-week private tutoring course for their year 12 daughter in Parramatta, Sydney.
"We are prioritising our child's education over everything else," Ms Sharma told the ABC.
The Sharmas are hoping their daughter will get into a science degree at university after she graduates, but said "the public school education was not working".
"My daughter has always been very good in academics but recently her grades were dropping and her mental wellbeing was being affected."
So the family turned to tutoring outside of school hours.
But amid the rising cost of living, difficult choices have to be made.
"It's been hard for my partner and I, even while working full-time," she said.
"We have cut down on so many other expenses in our lives. Buying new clothing and taking vacations aren't options anymore."
Ms Sharma said her family had also become "much more careful" with what they spend on groceries.
"We cook meals with a lot of simple ingredients like lentils and rice— anything to reduce the cost," she said.
And eating out is something they only do for special occasions now, rather than once a weekend.
Like Ms Sharma, parents across Australia are being forced to weigh up what's worth spending on.
'Tough choices' as education costs spiral
The financial burden of tutoring and extracurricular activities comes on top of the escalating costs of everyday education.
A 2023 study found some families were forking out up to $2,000 on back-to-school expenses, with 60 per cent of respondents paying more than $200 on "voluntary" school contributions.
The study by the Australian Council of State School Organisations also found one in five parents were using pay-later services to cover education expenses and one in four could not afford to send their kids on excursions or school camps.
Council president Damien Ellwood said while most parents wanted the best for their children, some were being forced to make "tough choices".
"Parents and carers are finding it increasing difficult to afford basic necessities and cover additional expense related to their children's education," he said.
Mr Ellwood said extracurricular activities provided students with "new ways to learn" and "significant benefits for personal growth, social development, health and wellbeing".
But even though some state governments provide vouchers to subside the cost, some families are reluctant to use them "due to pride or trust".
"Providing some subsidies and scholarships for extracurricular activities can ensure all students have equal opportunities to participate regardless of their family’s financial situation," Mr Ellwood said.
Sports clubs feeling the pinch
The cost-of-living crunch is also being felt at local sports clubs.
Some are experiencing a drop in junior players and a rise in parents requesting financial assistance for fees.
Lyton Martin has been part of the Keon Park Football Club in Melbourne's northern suburbs for more than a decade and is "very conscious" of the pressures on families.
"Definitely, there's a cost-of-living crisis and that’s impacting kids being out and playing sport," he said.
"Junior sport can get costly very quickly."
The latest data from the annual AusPlay sports participation survey found it cost $845 on average per child to play sport, and cost was one of the top five reasons why children did not get involved.
On top of membership fees and equipment expenses, families have to contend with the cost of driving to and from sporting venues every weekend.
Mr Martin said his club tried to reduce the burden on families by keeping fees as low as possible and operating a second-hand boot swap.
"We don't want kids to miss out on playing because families can't afford it," he said.
"[Team sport] is not just about winning and losing. It's about making new friends, learning through challenges, problem solving skills and beginning to learn social skills as well."
Education 'an investment', not a cost
On the other side of the coin, enrolments for activities like tutoring have increased for some companies.
Kumon, a national maths and reading program, says enquiries to it were up 16 per cent in the first quarter of 2024.
"We attribute this to a shift in attitude of seeing education as an investment rather than a cost,"James Wells, spokesperson at Kumon Australia and New Zealand, told the ABC.
"This is especially true during this period of increased cost-of-living, as parents want their children to have as many options as possible later in life."
Mr Wells said an "increased demand for students' learning to be tailored towards individual needs" was another factor.
"Some students can revise content if needed until they are confident in a particular topic, while others of advanced ability can be extended."
Ms Sharma echoes this, sayingenrolling her daughter in private tuition helped greatly.
"Her grades improved and she said concepts were becoming a lot clearer."
She said her daughter's private tuition allowed her to "get ahead of her public school's curriculum", while learning at a pace that better suited her.
Music participation dropping, but not everywhere
When it comes to creative activities, national data from 2023 revealed children's participation declined between 2017 and 2022.
Specifically, the number of kids singing or playing an instrument fell from 23 per cent to 19 per cent, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
The ABS did not ask survey respondents why, although it said it was safe to assume the outbreak of COVID-19 and lockdowns played a part.
The Australian Society for Music Education says cost is also clearly a factor.
President Jason Goopy told the ABC music education had become "simply unaffordable and a luxury item" in the current economic environment.
"Families are having to choose between putting food on the table and paying rent and choosing a music education for your children," he said.
But not all music schools are seeing declines.
Gillian Erskine, co-founder of Forte School of Music, said their schools had experienced "extremely strong growth … over 2022 and 2023".
"Whilst growth is often dependent on each school owner's goals, what we have noticed is 2024 has had student enrolments similar to last year or slightly higher," MsErskine told the ABC.
MsErskine said she sympathised with parents who were feeling the pinch.
"Some Forte schools offer family discounts … to make it more affordable and to support families who are supporting our schools," she said.
