The problem with flight instruction is that it is squeezed at one end by high hardware operating costs and at the other by students with finite resources. Sadly it is the instructor who is expected to take up the financial slack.
But the cost of learning to fly has hardly risen in the last eight years. If schools had put their prices up TOGETHER in line with inflation then maybe they and their instructors would be a little better off? Having said that, there's been a drop in all PPL(A) licence issues of around 1000 in the UK over the last 4 years - amazing considering prices have been almost frozen. General aviation is certainly in decline - an interesting thread would be what to do about it?! I honestly do not know how some schools continue to operate with such tight profit margins.
VFE.