As schools reopen for the new academic year, parents in Hyderabad are grappling with exorbitant increases in school fees, with some reporting hikes of over 60% compared to the previous year. Parent associations claim to have received numerous complaints and warn that the issue will persist without a fee regulation mechanism.
Fee Hike Details from Affected Parents
One parent, whose child attends a private school in Nagaram, revealed to TOI a sudden spike in annual fees. "The fee increased from ₹35,000 last year to ₹55,000 this year. Transport charges rose from ₹15,000 to ₹25,000 per annum, taking the total annual expenditure from ₹50,000 to ₹80,000 in just a year," the parent said, requesting anonymity. "We had no option but to pay. The academic year has already begun and we cannot risk our daughters’ education," the parent added, noting that he has two school-going daughters and many families are silently bearing the burden.
Widespread Complaints and Lack of Prior Notice
Parent association representatives allege similar complaints from multiple schools, with some parents reporting fee hikes reaching up to 100%, though most are reluctant to speak publicly. BVK Kishore, a member of the Hyderabad Schools Parents’ Association (HSPA), emphasized that schools should communicate proposed fee revisions well in advance. "Fee structures should ideally be communicated to parents by January and displayed publicly. However, many parents come to know of the revised fee only when they reach the school to pay at the start of the academic year," he said.
Annual Recurrence and Call for Regulation
The association's president, Venkat Sainath, noted that the problem recurs yearly. "Every year, we address concerns related to fee hikes ranging from 15% to 50%. Without a fee regulation mechanism for private schools, the problem will persist. Most parents cannot come forward as they do not want their child’s career to be affected," he said. Parents' groups also pointed out that recommendations from the Telangana Education Commission (TEC) on regulating private school fees remain unimplemented by the state government.
Pending Government Action
An official from the TEC stated, "We have already submitted the draft bill to the government and it now needs to be taken up by them." The Director of School Education for Telangana, Dr. A Naveen Nicolas, remained unresponsive to queries.
