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Parents in Bengaluru face financial strain as private schools hike fees by 10-15% annually, with some reaching 30%.
Parents in Bengaluru are burdened by private schools hiking fees by 10-15% annually. (Representative/File Photo)
Parents in Bengaluru have complained about how private schools increasing fees every year has led to them paying exorbitant amounts in just a span of a few years. Private schools in the city routinely hike fees by 10-15 per cent, which has led to many parents calling out the burden it causes. In some cases, the hike goes up by as much as 30 per cent, which adds more burden to a family’s finances.
Shalini, a mother to two, has said how routine hikes of 10,000 every year have caused a burden to her family, as in the case of having 2 children, the family is forced to bear the steep hike. She said that just 2 years ago, she paid 42-44,000 in fees for each other kids, but is paying 64-68 thousand in just a span of 2 years. ‘Overall, I basically have to set aside 2 lakhs for both by kids. This is just the case for the state board syllabus, CBSE and ICSE education is out of reach for us’, Shalini adds.
Meena, another parent also complains of how routine hikes every year by 10,000 or more have put much burden on the family’s finances as they have 2 children. ‘Apart from the regular fees, we also have to pay for transportation, books and uniforms right? So raising 2 children becomes a cause of concern.’ she noted.
Chidanand, General Secretary at ‘Voice of Parents’ has questioned the logic behind schools hiking fees every year, when the salaries of parents never saw hikes to afford such hikes: “Most of the parents hardly see a hike by 2-3 percent per year. In some cases, parents’ businesses are not doing well post pandemic, and even getting a job in the market is very difficult. How can they expect us to pay such high fees in such a scenario? Additionally, schools ask for the first instalments for the academic year to be paid now, when it actually starts by the end of May or in June. This leaves us clueless.”
Association of Primary and Secondary Schools of Karnataka Secretary D Shashi Kumar has said that the hikes are justified as the operational costs increase each year, including the salaries of the teachers.
“An 8-10 per cent hike is inevitable as we increase salaries year after year. There are various components involved when hiking. Even when comes to books and uniforms, there will be a certain increase of around 5-10 per cent, which is as per the market rates,” Shashi Kumar points out.
“But if schools hike fees by 30-40 per cent, we will not support that. If there is a complaint about a school, the government should step in and check the revenue and expenditure of that school and see if the hike is justified,” added Shashi.
Education Minister Madhu Bangarappa has said that while the government couldn’t do much to rein in hikes by private schools, he would put in a request to avoid such harsh hikes, saying that they should consult the government once since they do set up their institutions with the permission of the government.
He also backed government schools to be considered as an option by parents, saying how many leaders and distinguished people have also studied in government establishments.
However, Council LoP Chalavadi Narayanaswamy has blamed the government for the steep hike by private schools, saying that they were being supported by the government for their own interests. He alleged that plans were there to close government schools, to force students to resort to private education.
