'Paying Rs 30,000 Monthly, Would Be Rs 9 Lakh Yearly In Class 12': Man's School Fee Hike Concerns Resonate With Many

A real estate consultant in Gurugram has shared concerns about the high fee he is required to pay for his son's private school¡ªRs 30,000 per month. This follows a recent survey revealing that over 40% of parents have seen a 30-50% rise in their children's school fees since the Covid pandemic.

School increasing fees arbitrarily

Udit Bhandari mentioned that his son, who's in Grade 3, attends a well-known CBSE school in Gurugram where the monthly fee is Rs 30,000. Mr. Bhandari figured out that if the school keeps increasing fees by 10% each year, he'd end up paying around Rs 9,00,000 annually by the time his son reaches Class 12.

"My son's school fees have been consistently compounding at 10%/annum. The school does not even bother to explain the hike and the higher fee simply appears on the payment app!," he wrote on X.

He added, "My son is in Grade 3 and it's a reputed CBSE school in Gurgaon. School fees is Rs. 30000/month including meals (excluding bus). If this continues to compound at 10% it would be nearly Rs. 9,00,000 per annum when he's in 12th."

He further explained that when parents protested about the hike, the school simply asked them to look for another school for their kids.

Youtube/ Globalkids

One person commented, "The government should intervene and add a cap on private school fees. But it seems I'm expecting too much from the government."

Another corroborated the fee hike, saying, "Same here with DPS. You can¡¯t object to anything. 10% hike every year, books with inflated MRP they even provide stationery and you can¡¯t buy it from outside. They change dress, shoes every year so nobody can use their old one."

Yet another questioned, "What would be the cost of education in the next 10 years I wonder?? Only a select few would be able to afford it¡­is this the direction in which our education system be heading¡­I wonder."

30-50% hike in school fees since Covid pandemic

BCCL

According to a survey conducted by LocalCircles, it was found that in tier 1 and 2 cities, the annual fees for reputable private schools now vary between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 4 lakh, while in tier 3 and 4 cities, the range is between Rs 50,000 and Rs 2 lakh.

About 67% of parents surveyed expressed their dissatisfaction with their state government's lack of effective control over or restriction of excessive fee hikes by schools, with only 23% reporting otherwise.

The report highlighted the importance of quality education and the financial challenges many families are dealing with. It emphasises the urgent need for both central and state education boards to take action.

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