Parents in Bengaluru are taking to the streets and social media, outraged over skyrocketing private school fees after a post revealed annual fees of 2.1 lakh for a third grader.
The fee breakdown, shared by the Voice of Parents Association, includes ₹1.9 lakh for tuition fees, ₹9,000 for annual fees and ₹11,449 labeled as ‘Impestation’. The caption of the post summed up the frustration: “₹2.1 lakh fee for 3rd standard in Bengaluru. No amount of inflation can justify that. The government regulates engineering college fees but avoids the subject of school fees. There’s no business like school business. »
The Voice of Parents Association called for immediate government intervention, describing the situation as “profiteering and commercialization of education”. While recognizing the constitutional rights of schools to operate autonomously under sections 29, 30 and 19(1)(g), the group argued that these freedoms do not permit excessive profiteering.
The association urged the government to establish fee-setting committees and enforce strict oversight to prevent schools from exploiting weak regulatory systems. He also accused schools of resisting accountability measures and criticized corruption for perpetuating the problem.
The viral post sparked an intense debate on social media over the affordability and accessibility of education. One user argued that “running a school with good infrastructure is expensive and capping fees could have unfavorable results. The best solution is to open quality public schools. » Others pointed to systemic changes as the solution, with one commenter writing: “When the privileged choose public schools, their infrastructure will automatically improve. It is the government’s job to ensure free, quality education for all. »
Some users attributed the high fees to premium international programs. “Schools in areas like Whitefield and Sarjapur charge similarly, citing Cambridge and IB programs and small class sizes,” noted one commenter. Meanwhile, others blamed market dynamics, observing: “Parents willing to pay such fees create this market, allowing schools to charge exorbitantly.”
