Thursday, 24 April 2025
Thursday, 24 April 2025
Escalating private-school fees is an issue that has hit boiling point in India, like the stock market turmoil sparked by US President Donald Trump's tariffs.
According to a nationwide research by community social media platform LocalCircles, 44 per cent of the surveyed parents have lamented a 50-80 per cent hike in school fees over the past three years.
Kolkata is no stranger to such a tragedy as the session fees in most private schools in the city have undergone a hike by approximately 10 per cent or more every year.
On Monday, a protesting parents’ body gathered at the Mahadevi Birla World Academy to demand affordable education. The guardians triggered an upheaval only after being informed of a 28-30 per cent hike in fees following the installation of airconditioners in classrooms.
The bone of contention over the matter lies in a hike in other fee components while a drastic decline was noticed in the maintenance charge. “The school has reduced the maintenance fee from 15k to 9.5k,” a parent shared with TTOnline on condition of anonymity.
No concrete solution has come up yet despite previously held meetings between the school administration and the parents. “A meeting took place in August 2024, but there was no notice or circular. We finally received the notice this year in March 2025 at the end of an academic year,” the parent added.
IEM Public School has also not been spared of the protests. A steep hike in fee over the past few years hasn’t gone down well with the parents.
On March 28, The Telegraph Online reported about protest demonstrations at IEM Public School “where parents claimed the upcoming session’s fees have been hiked irrationally”. The school has now offered a revised fee structure.
School fees vs. family planning
If you’re a parent, planning for the future can be an everyday affair. The fee hike in private schools has dealt a blow to their futuristic goals.
“We initially wanted to have two children. But the expenditure behind the education of our first born made us rethink our idea,” said a mother of a 13-year-old going to a popular private school in Kolkata.
“The expenses do not end at session fees. Apart from uniforms and books, the school bus charges approximately five thousand a month. “The buses are non-air conditioned, but the cost keeps increasing every year,” she added.
Glare on extra-curricular activities
Parents pin their hopes on a well-rounded curriculum in schools. From learning foreign languages to picking up the right musical instruments to outdoor activities, everything comes at a cost these days.
“While we thought our ward will also learn a language like French or German proficiency, CBSE, following the National Education Policy, has made learning two Indian languages mandatory. So, my ward will have to learn two Indian/regional languages along with English, because English here is being considered as a foreign language. Learning French or German is no longer an option. But we are still paying for it,” a parent said.
Private coaching burden
Beyond the expense incurred to get one’s child admitted to a private school and ensure the costs are met, the financial burden of private coaching also needs to be carried by the parents. The gap between what is taught in schools versus what needs to be learnt to score well in the exams adds a few more thousands to the monthly budget of the families.
In which direction this entire matter goes remains to be seen, but for now the parents have to slug it out to see their wards go the full distance in private education.
