School fee vs salary: Why parents are feeling the squeeze like never before

India Today

2 days ago

At the end of every academic year, in cities like Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Hyderabad, a familiar dread sets in not for the students, but for their parents. It's not the report card that shakes them it's the fee circular.A Bengaluru-based tech couple earning 25 lakh annually now spend nearly 5 lakh a year on school fees for two children. 'We budget like we're sending them to college abroad,' the father says. In Gurugram, a teacher breaks down while explaining how she pulled her son out of a reputed private school after a 35% hike made it unaffordable on her 60,000 salary. And in Hyderabad, a playschool asked for 2.51 lakh per year for a nursery admission.advertisementThis isn't about elite boarding schools or international academies anymore. Even mid-tier private schools across India's metros are raising fees at double or triple the pace of their students' parents' salaries. Education, once the 'great equaliser,' is quietly becoming the great divider.FEE HIKES VS. SALARY GROWTH: THE STARK NUMBERS
Private-school fees are skyrocketingA LocalCircles national survey of 31,000 parents across 309 districts found that 44% reported fee hikes of 50–80% between 2022 and 2025, and 8% said increases exceeded 80%. Only 13% reported no hikeFor the 2025–26 session, 81% of private-school parents nationwide experienced fee hikes of over 10%; notably, 22% saw increases exceeding 30%In metros like Delhi, Bengaluru and Hyderabad, annual hikes of up to 50% have been reported, triggering parent protests and scrutinySALARY RAISES LAG BEHINDMedian salary hikes in India are projected at 9.4–9.5% for 2025, consistent with recent yearsMeanwhile, average urban salaried workers earn around 21,800/month, per ILO reports referencing 2022 incomesCOMPARISON TABLE: 2022–2025
VOICES FROM THE GROUND: INFLATION IN REVENGE'We budget like we're sending them to college abroad', a Bengaluru parent's sentiment, mirrored by many in Reddit threads describing 2–3 lakh annual fees for just one child's IB/ICSE school.A school teacher in Gurugram earning 60,000/month shared tearfully how a sudden 35% fee hike forced her to transfer her child despite the emotional toll , a real-life scenario echoing many reported cases across NCR and LucknowIn Hyderabad, a school's 2.51 lakh nursery fee sparked anger online when shared by Anuradha Tiwari, creator of the viral post captioned: 'Now, learning ABCD costs 21,000 per month. What are they even teaching?'POLICY PUSHBACK AND PARENTAL BACKLASHIn Delhi, the School Education (Transparency & Fee Regulation) Bill 2025 aims to regulate fees by limiting hikes to once every three years, mandating public financial disclosure and imposing fines of 1 lakh–10 lakh for violations.Critics argue the bill undermines real accountability—requiring 15% parent sign off on complaints, dominated by school appointed committees, and stripping independent audit powers.advertisementParents across Delhi, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad have protested privately hiked fees, with turnout at DPS Dwarka highlighting widespread discontent amid surging charges.IS QUALITY EDUCATION BECOMING A MONOPOLY?The data is clear: tuition costs are rising at three to five times the rate of salary increases. Middle-income parents are sacrificing savings, skipping vacations, or tapping loans even for nursery tuition. While regulatory steps are being proposed, enforcement remains weak. Without stronger accountability or real reform, education risks becoming a tool of inequality not opportunity.- Ends