As the new school year nears, tension is brewing among parents in Bengaluru with reports suggesting private schools may raise fees by as much as 20%. Institutions cite escalating expenses—ranging from teacher wages to electricity—as the reason. But parents say fee hikes have become routine, often imposed without clarity or discussion.
BN Yoganand, state president of the Karnataka Private School and College Parents Association’s coordination panel, revealed that complaints are pouring in. A parent recently raised concerns over rising costs of tuition, books, and transport—saying schools even demand payment before handing over textbooks. Yoganand questioned how these increases are justified when educator salaries remain stagnant.
Susheel K, father of a Grade 7 IGCSE student, added that a yearly hike of 10-20% is now the norm, with parents rarely consulted. “There’s no active parent-teacher body involved in financial decisions. Fees crossed ₹2-3 lakh even when my child was in Grade 1,” he said.
Shashi Kumar, convener of the Karnataka Private Schools Management Federation, acknowledged typical hikes range from 10-15%, advising schools to avoid going higher unless necessary. However, Yoganand said some associations are still considering a 20% hike.
An anonymous official from an ICSE-CBSE association claimed fee caps exist—around 12-15%—but admitted there’s no dialogue with the education department yet. Educationist Sripad Bhat noted that Karnataka lacks a functional fee regulation system, with the District Education Regulatory Authority (DERA) being ineffective. He blamed unchecked fee structures on the decline of public schooling.
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