A few months ago, a detailed report on the cost of raising a child in India was published which started a massive debate online about the financial aspect of having kids – a subject which is often ignored. One of the things that was highlighted in that report is how expensive school fees have become in metropolitan cities, which nowadays are in lakhs. Here’s an example.
According to a report by TOI, a prominent school in Bachupally, Hyderabad, implemented a 65% hike in school fees in a year for students going from nursery to LKG. A complaint was raised by the mother of a 4-year-old who was to transition from nursery to LKG. She revealed that the annual fee for nursery was Rs 2.3 lakh in 2023 and now it’s Rs 3.7 lakh for the 2024 academic year.
“When we enrolled our son, we expected the fee structure to remain relatively stable until he reached grade 1. However, the leap from Nursery to LKG placed him in a new fee bracket, almost 70% higher,” the parent revealed.
The mother also revealed that the school fee for her elder son when he was in class 4 was Rs 3.2 lakh, which is Rs 50,000 lower than the new school fee of the younger son for LKG.
“Financially, this will be quite burdensome for us. We are now contemplating changing his school, which presents another challenge of finding admission on short notice,” the parent said.
This issue was shared on social media by journalist Sudhakar Udumula and it started another interesting debate on social media.
₹3.7 Lakhs school fee for Lower Kindergarten in #Hyderabad!
Parents left stunned by the school fee hike.
A prominent school in #Bachupally has allegedly increased LKG fees by 65%.
In 2023, it was ₹2.3 lakh per academic year, for 2024 it was increased to ₹3.7 lakh citing… pic.twitter.com/e5AQRyyTfT
— Sudhakar Udumula (@sudhakarudumula) February 15, 2024
Several people online were taken aback by this huge hike in school fees. Many pointed out how the starting salary of many MBA graduates is the same as the school fee for LKG. Here’s how they reacted:
Ridiculous . Quite sure A day will come when schools will create fear mongering for this IB , will tie up with a fintech and offer EMI facilities and Middle class will get debt trapped .
— Dr Darpan Jakkal 🩺 (@DocDarpan_MD) February 15, 2024
It’s deeply concerning to witness schools in Telangana, particularly in Hyderabad, hiking their fees for the year 2024. This blatant exploitation of parents’ pockets amounts to nothing short of literal looting. Instead of standing by the parents association and students, the…
— Chandra Mohan (@chandu28in) February 15, 2024
Trust me, in the next 10 years, nobody will care about these certificates.
Entrepreneurship/ freelancing will boom; those with skills will thrive.
Don’t waste your money on these fees. Consider homeschooling or traditional schooling to teach them to be street-smart.
— Satya (@SThinkTnereffid) February 15, 2024
It is not the hike that surprises me.
Parents were ready to pay 2.3 L per annum earlier also just for kindergarten class.
That surprises me more than the hike since Bachupally is low cost zone.
Just curious, what is the Tenth class fees in that school.https://t.co/enCOjydkwf— Kiran Goli (@kirankumargoli) February 15, 2024
☠️ this fee is equal to my whole educational life till now 🫨 (I’m btech final year now)
— Chaitanya Krishna (@chaitanya_K_24) February 16, 2024
This year hikes have been around 20%+ in other schools too. Most of the school have no upper limit for school fees , even schools with no infra within a small building fees run into lakhs. @revanth_anumula @TelanganaCMO @PIBHyderabad
— Sunil K (@SunStocks) February 15, 2024
https://t.co/PhZMsPAwkZ pic.twitter.com/hULKw9di06
— Social Experiment (@GoneWorse) February 15, 2024
A new elite school in Bessie #Chennai is charging Rs 4 lacs reportedly for LGG. we talk about everyone getting education and this is the state we are in today. Schools increase fees to make more money and to create and cater to an elite set of people. Atrocious. Fees need to be… https://t.co/oBPSgHBGH1
— Latha Srinivasan (@latasrinivasan) February 16, 2024
to give you a reference point – an exec MBA from a good B school is around 3.6 lakhs. (am not talking about the ISB level schools. but a normal good B school https://t.co/S2BPpPCBs0
— Harini Calamur (@calamur) February 15, 2024
Why the shock? Admission fees in the NCR have always been in the 2.5-5 lakh range and annual fees at around 3-4 lakh for junior classes. Unless you go to one of the international schools where they exceed 1 lakh pm. https://t.co/Aa1ffPem5r
— Kushan Mitra (@kushanmitra) February 16, 2024
What are your views on this topic? Share with us!