(Dr N. Khaleel)
We set out on the path of learning bright,
Hopes in hand, eyes full of light.
But soon we found the road was steep,
Where promises are sold, and costs run deep.
Books weigh less than the bills we pay,
Fees pile up day by day.
Uniforms, buses, coaching classes too,
A child’s right to learn—now costly to pursue.
Schools’ once temples of wisdom and grace,
Now wear a profit-hungry face.
Where rupees speak louder than thought,
And knowledge, it seems, can now be bought.
On parents’ faces, silent strain,
Dreams dampened by financial pain.
All for a degree they barely can earn,
While pockets empty and stomachs churn.
Education should open the door,
But for many, it’s a price war.
These heavy fees and hollow pride—
Must we let fairness be denied?
Let’s ask, let’s speak, let’s understand,
Must private schooling rule the land?
And if so, at what true cost,
Is our children’s future gained—or lost?
Yes, coming to the point…
Private school fees have become burdensome. It has crossed lakhs just to pay for the letters. Currently, school fees have increased significantly across the country. Leaving aside the rich, who do not exceed 5%, the remaining 95% of middle and lower middle-class families are unable to bear this financial burden and are suffering from the inability to provide good education to their children. The situation is the same everywhere from Bangalore to Delhi. Especially in the last three years, parents of school children are expressing concern that school fees have increased many times. The latest national survey has also confirmed that school fees across the country have increased by 50 to 80 percent in three years. Due to the lack of any control over school fees, private school owners are increasing fees every year at will. This is making it difficult for parents to educate their children. In a survey conducted by Local Circles, a community social media platform, 44 percent of parents said that the fees of their children’s schools have increased by 50 to 80 percent in the last three years, the survey report revealed.
This survey was conducted on the parents of 31,000 school students in 309 districts across the country. Nearly 93 percent of the parents who participated in this survey expressed dissatisfaction that the respective state governments are not taking appropriate steps to control the high fees charged by schools. The management of private schools, which have turned the hopes of parents into an opportunity, is burying them under various names. Due to this, they are greedy and are bearing the burden by pouring lakhs. Currently, school fees across the country have increased significantly. Once, grammar and concept schools were considered as if it’s a gift like matter from Brahma. Now, the concept has gone, and the school management is trying to take the parents into a world of imagination by saying Talent, Techno, E-Techno, DIGI, Model School, IIT, JEE, Civils Foundation. The management is increasing the fees by 20 to 30% every year without any permission. According to G.O. No. 91, the application fee is Rs. 100 and the admission fee is Rs. 500 only. There should be no requirement to purchase books and educational materials in schools. According to Section –8(1), words like International, IIT, Olympiad, Concept, E-Techno should not be included in the names of educational institutions.
According to GO 88, a school with 200 students should have a sports field of 700 square meters. Measures should be taken to prevent fire accidents. Fire extinguishers should be made available. But no corporate educational institutions have fire extinguishers. At least, they decide the fees without any limit, without even mentioning the amount of fee charged for each class on the noticeboard. Many schools are charging huge fees by showing high walls, AC classrooms, special tables, chairs, AC buses, digital boards, digital material. Generally, the tuition fees of private schools in Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities range from Rs. 2,500 to Rs. 8,000 per month. Some schools also charge annual fees. These vary from school to school. For example, Woodstock School in Mussoorie is one of the most expensive schools in India. The annual fees are Rs. 18 lakhs. Private school fees are a major issue for parents. Due to the high fees, parents are reluctant to admit their children to private schools. Some states and cities have brought laws and regulations to control fees. But even though there is an education commission in our state, there has been no change in school fees. Of the fees collected from students, 15 percent should be used for school maintenance, electricity, and rental expenses, and 15 percent should be used for school development. 15 percent of the fee should be allocated for insurance and provident funds for school staff.
As per GO No. 90, 91, 92 of 2008, a committee should be formed with the District Education Officer, a representative of a non-governmental organization, student unions, and private educational institutions to determine the fees. The Collector should be the chairman of this. This committee should inspect the school, look at the infrastructure and condition, and give a report on how much fees to collect. A government announcement should be issued before the start of the academic year. As per GO No. 42, if the fees are to be increased, the permission of the District Fee Regulation Committee should be taken. Fees are being increased day by day, not reduced. Although the Right to Education Act has given very clear guidelines on issues like fee regulation, appointment of teachers, and collection of donations, many private schools do not follow them. Education experts are demanding that steps be taken to impose heavy fines for violation of the law. There are provisions in the law that if donations are collected in the name of entrance exams, a fine of Rs. 25,000 to Rs. 50,000 be imposed. Moreover, the Right to Education Act stipulates that at least 25 percent of the seats in every private school should be given free of cost to students from backward classes. But there is no supervision on this either. A special law should be brought to regulate fees. The Right to Education Act should be strictly implemented. Strict action should be taken against schools that violate the law. Steps should be taken to run the education system without financial burden on parents. Details of the fees collected from students should be posted on the noticeboard as per government rules. According to Section 12, the law states that the School Staff Selection Committee shall appoint teachers and non-teaching staff as per government rules and post their details, educational qualifications and salaries on the noticeboard. According to Section 12, the teacher-student ratio should not exceed 1:20. According to the law, every private management should allocate 25% of the seats to SC, ST, disabled and minorities. Apart from this, schools should have a playground of 1000 square meters in the municipality and 2000 square meters in rural areas. But the private schools that exist now do not comply with any of these. There should be a regulatory system to regulate fees, such as a fee regulation committee, which has parents, school management, educators, intellectuals, and officials as members every year. The government should formulate strict laws to take action against institutions that defy the fees set by the government. Students, parents, educators, and owners of small educational institutions have a responsibility to take action for a fee regulation law in private educational institutions. Only if this is done will high fees not be charged. Fees can be controlled to some extent.
(Author is a Pharma Specialist based in Hyderabad)