Telangana: Steep Hike in School Fees Worries Parents

 Hyderabad: Parents are grappling with an alarming trend of private schools hiking fees by an average of 20 per cent each academic year, leaving many frustrated and financially-burdened. This steep increase comes despite a recent ban on schools selling books, stationery, and uniforms on their premises — a move intended to protect parents from monopolistic practices but has instead led to a sharp rise in tuition fees.

The issue assumes significance as many schools begin their admission process in the next couple of months for the subsequent academic year.

A circular issued by the district education officer (DEO) of Hyderabad aimed to curb these practices, but parents report that private schools continue to find loopholes.

"Schools are allegedly operating under different names to sell mandatory items from off-campus locations, with some even threatening that children’s notebooks will not be corrected if parents refuse to purchase from these specific shops," complained one parent, Sultan Mehmood.

The government's lack of vigilance and enforcement has only worsened the situation, parents said.

"Private schools enjoy exemptions from GST and income-tax, yet they continue to increase fees annually while keeping teacher salaries stagnant. Our salaries do not rise at the same rate, questioning how they are expected to manage a 20 per cent fee hike each year when their own incomes remain unchanged," another parent, Tarun Penumala told Deccan Chronicle.

There are calls for stronger oversight of private schools, particularly in terms of fee regulations. Parents are appealing for a separate commission to address their grievances within a stipulated timeframe. They are also demanding that the tenure for temporary recognition orders, currently set at 10 years, be reduced to two or three years, with a substantial fee charged for renewal to ensure schools meet the required standards.

"The lack of adequate government intervention has turned education into a lucrative business, with private schools multiplying across the city," Mehmood said adding that many of these schools are reported to operate without proper infrastructure or adherence to mandatory regulations, further fuelling concerns among parents about the quality of education and the legitimacy of the fees being charged.

Burra Venkatesham, education principal secretary,had earlier this year, in April 2024, said that the issue regarding fee hikes would be addressed in six months, a deadline which was later changed to be the next academic year (2025-2026).