Bengaluru Parents Protest As Private Schools Increase Fee Up To 30% – News18

Last Updated:February 25, 2025, 11:04 IST

Parents in Bengaluru face financial strain as private schools hike fees by 10-15% annually, with some reaching 30%.

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 few years. Private schools in the city routinely hike fees by 10-15 percent, which has led to many parents calling out the burden it causes, and in some cases the hike goes up by as much as 30 percent.

Shalini, a mother to two, has said how routine hikes by 10,000 every year has caused a burden to her family, as in the case of having 2 children, the family is forced to bear the steep hike. She mentions that just 2 years ago, she paid 42-44,000 in fees for each of kids, but is paying 64-68 thousand in just a span of 2 years.

Meena, another parent also complains how both her children’s fees get hiked by 10,000 every year, while they also have to bear the additional burden of hike in prices of text books. transport and uniforms.

Chidanand, General Secretary at ‘Voice of Parents’ has questioned how such fare hikes were justified each year, when the salaries of parents barely witnessed a hike by 2-3 each year. He has also said that most schools demand the first installment of fees to be paid well before the start of the academic year in May or June, and that the fees structure is never updated by most schools.

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. Shashi Kumar has said that a certain hike was inevitable, but urged parents to lodge a complaint if the hike goes beyond 30-40 percent.

Education Minister Madhu Bangarappa has said that while the government couldn’t do much in reining in hikes by private schools, he would put in a request to avoid harsh hikes. 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.