Parents across Bengaluru are fuming over significant fee hikes imposed by private schools for the upcoming academic year. Reports indicate increases ranging from 10% to 30%, far outpacing the current inflation rate while placing a substantial financial burden on families.
In areas such as Rajajinagar, Rajarajeshwari Nagar, Goraguntepalya, and Bagalagunte, schools have raised fees by Rs 25,000 to Rs35,000 in budget institutions, while more established schools have increased fees from Rs 50,000 to Rs 65,000. Prestigious institutions now charge between Rs 1 lakh to Rs 1.2 lakh, covering tuition, sports, extracurricular activities, textbooks, and uniforms. Additionally, transportation fees have risen by Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000, further straining household budgets.
Many schools have also reduced payment flexibility, now requiring fees to be paid in one or two instalments, a departure from the previous allowance of up to four instalments. Parents report that questioning these hikes often leads to threats of transfer certificates for their children.
Jayanthi Mahesh, a concerned parent, shared her predicament: "A marginal hike in fees is understandable, but this drastic increase puts us in a quandary. We can't change schools because we'd need to pay admission fees and other costs again, yet staying means paying significantly higher fees."
"Out of 1500 students, 5-10 parents asks for this. Management asks you to shift your child. If you do not shift, your child will be bullied by management for rest of the time they study in that school. Hardly anyone want that kind of torture for their kids," Rajesh Kumar from Bengaluru noted.
In response to these concerns, the Karnataka Private School Managements Teaching and Non-Teaching Staff Coordination Committee (KPMTCC) announced that fee increases would not exceed 10% to 15% for the upcoming academic year. Shashikumar D., convener of the committee, stated, "We would like to request the schools to think of the parent community and take decisions supporting the general ethos of schools in general. A sudden rise of fee above 10 to 15% would need very clear support of the parent community."
What comes as a shock is that the school boards are flouting the state laws left, right and center. The Karnataka Education Act mandates that each school board must have three parents, one of whom shall me a woman. In fact, the CBSE bye law also mandates school management committee to have two parents onboard, who'll jointly supervise the activities of the school and approve the fees. But this mandate has remained only in the rulebook, rarely practiced by schools.
No amount of assurances seems to appease parents, who've seen instances where schools have imposed hikes beyond the suggested limits. The lack of a regulatory framework to monitor and control such increases exacerbates their concerns.
The Karnataka School Parents Association (KASPA) has decided to file a public interest litigation in the high court, demanding school fee regulation. Selvaraj, vice-president of KASPA, emphasized the need for transparency:
"We are unhappy over the ways in which schools are manipulating parents by hiking admission and transportation fees every year. The CBSE and ICSE by-laws clearly state that the school management should consult parents through chosen parents' representatives before revising the fee," he said.
As the new academic year approaches, parents are urging the government to implement effective regulatory measures to ensure that quality education remains accessible and affordable for all sections of society. More importantly, the implemented measures are effectively executed and schools are supervised regularly to that effect.
