Fleecing season for City schools

Private institutions effect manifold increase in tuition fee

Going back to school is not the same again, this year.

Getting their wards back to schools won’t put a smile on parents’ faces anymore, as it has become a costly affair. City schools have hiked the tuition fees between 30 and 50 per cent over that for the last year. Schools in Bangalore North and South have effected a steep increase in tuition fee, in addition to enhancing the quantum of ‘building fund’ and books amongst others.

One of the victims of fee hike is Kavitha Prakash, whose two children are studying in one of the top schools in Bangalore North.

“It is shocking to know that the school authorities have increased the fee up to 40 per cent. Paying fees for both my daughters for the present academic year has cost over a lakh rupees. The authorities have not kept us informed of the hike and the change is exponential.”

Providing quality education to children has become a costly affair for parents, particularly in times of recession and skyrocketing cost of living. However, parents are left with no option but to pay up, she bemoaned.

Manifold increase

The manifold increase in fee has irked parents as they are unable to shift their wards to other schools. Arpitha Prabhu, a parent said, “The school authorities have included various components like building fee, extracurricular activities and others along with the tuition fee. Moving my child to another school during primary education is unthinkable, so we have to pay up the exorbitant fee.”

Free hand

Lack of a mechanism to regulate tuition fee charged by schools has given a free hand to school authorities to fleece parents. Most parents are helpless as there are no authorities who can look into the matter.

Arpitha Prabhu said, “On contacting the Education department, the officials answered that they had no control over these schools. The best they can do was to forward the parents’ plea to the Human Resources Development Ministry.”

Unaffordable

Purchasing bags, books and paying for transportation has become a costly affair for parents. “Over the past one year, there has been an enormous increase in the price of commodities and parents are bearing the brunt at the time of admissions. Bags, books and shoes cost Rs 300 to Rs 400 more over the previous year,”Anitha Sharma, another parent added.