Parents feel school fees pinch

Hyderabad: There is no cap on school fees as there is for college fees. As a result, school fees are spiralling upwards in the city. Even state-affiliated schools have increased fees by 30 to 40 per cent this academic year while fees for CBSE-affiliated schools have gone through the roof.

Despite CBSE guidelines issued in 2013, directing schools to display their fee structures, only a handful of them have done so. Some state-affiliated schools are charging Rs 50,000 for admission to pre-primary, which increases to Rs 4 lakh for CBSE schools that claim to maintain international standards.

In 2008, an attempt was made to refer all increases in fees to the School Regulatory Board, but it never took off.  

“A Government Order was issued to put a cap on school fees and approve higher fee structures only after deliberations and need, but it never happened,” an official in the school education department said adding, “It has become like management quota in colleges.” According to the fee structure displayed on its website, Glendale Academy International charges Rs 2 lakh for pre-primary admission. Meridian School in Banjara Hills charges nearly Rs1 lakh for pre-nursery admission.

“It is hard to find a school that is affordable these days. Good schools have all hiked their fees by nearly 50 per cent for no reason. Where the fees are affordable, there are no seats,” said A. Shanthi, a parent.

S. Srinivasa Reddy, president of the AP Recognised School Managements Association, said, “A 10 to 15 per cent hike in fees due to inflation, rents, property tax etc., is understandable. But some schools charge Rs 4 lakh for a pre-primary admission. Parents are willing to pay, so schools are cashing in on the situation.”