Hyderabad: Concerns Over Rising School Fees in Private Institutions
The admissions process for pre-primary and primary sections (LKG to Class 3) has begun for the upcoming academic year in Hyderabad. However, parents are raising concerns as many private schools are demanding double the fees compared to previous years. Parents have pointed out that no government order has been issued to regulate these fees, and they are urging the Education Department to set a uniform date for fee collection across all schools.
Compared to last year, there has been a significant fee hike ranging from 20 to 30 percent. For instance, if pre-primary fees were Rs 80,000 last year, they have now increased to Rs 1 lakh for the next academic year. This sharp increase is happening without any fee regulation from the Education Department, leaving parents worried and frustrated.
Despite repeated promises from the Telangana government to regulate school fees, no concrete action has been taken. In May, the principal secretary of the Education Department mentioned plans to regulate fees by September. There were also hints of introducing a special law to control fees and penalize schools for unjustified hikes in the next academic year. However, no formal orders have been passed, and many private schools have already started charging higher fees, according to concerned parents.
K Venkat Sainath, Joint Secretary of the Hyderabad School Parents Association (HSPA), expressed his frustration. “We are tired of fighting the same issue year after year. Despite the State government’s promises, no action has been taken. The lack of a proper mechanism to stop private schools from arbitrarily increasing fees is deeply concerning. Schools offer no transparent or logical explanation for these hikes. It would be better if the Education Department set a specific date in the academic calendar for uniform fee collection across all schools.”
Parents are also unhappy with the lack of accountability from schools. Suresh Reddy, a parent, shared his experience. “I recently admitted my son to Class I, and the fee was Rs 1 lakh compared to Rs 80,000 last year. When I asked the school management about the hike, they justified it by mentioning additions like new furniture and Digi classes. To make it worse, they didn’t provide a proper fee receipt. Instead, they wrote the amount on a piece of paper and stamped it with the school seal.”
As the new academic year approaches, parents are left feeling burdened by the rising costs and disappointed by the government’s inaction. Many hope for swift measures to regulate school fees and bring relief to families across the state.
