
Parents in Bengaluru have expressed outrage over skyrocketing school fees after a viral social media post highlighted a fee structure of Rs 2.1 lakh for a third-standard student. The post, shared by the Voice of Parents Association, showcased a breakdown of the fees, including Rs 1.9 lakh for tuition, Rs 9,000 for annual fees, and Rs 11,449 under “imprest.”
The post by the association on January 23 read, "2.1 lakhs fees for 3rd standard in Bengaluru. No amount of inflation can justify the rise in school fees. Govt can regulate engineering college fees but dare touch school fees topic. Such is fear schools have created. There is no business like school business."
The Voice of Parents Association stands firmly against the profiteering and commercialisation of education by private schools. While schools have the constitutional right to establish and manage institutions under Articles 29, 30, and 19(1)(g), the association emphasises that these rights do not allow mismanagement or excessive profiteering, according to the report by the Hindustan Times.
Further, they argue that the government must implement strong, loophole-free regulations and appoint fee determination committees to ensure fair practices. Additionally, the association highlights that many schools resist regulation and exploit weak enforcement through corruption, further stressing the urgent need for transparent and effective oversight in the education sector, stated the Hindustan Times report.
Time to regularise fee?
Netizens urge regularising fees for schools. One of the X user said, "There is No Cap for school fees.. every year schools hike fees by 20%. The government should do something about it!!! School fees are skyrocketing and parents are struggling to afford basic education!!"
Another user highlighted the commercialisation of education and health in the country. "And they are among institutions which didn't make any loss during Covid as fees continued the same as regular. Education and health are commercialized to the tooth in India and a thriving industry, not service, anymore. Past, people would have completed school with this fees.," the post read.