70% of parents report over 30% private school fee hikes in 3 years: Survey

Hyderabad: Seven in 10 parents with children in private schools said fees rose by 30% or more over the last three years, with many reporting increases in the 50% to 80% range, according to a LocalCircles survey covering more than 47,000 respondents across 271 districts.Sachin Taparia of LocalCircles said the findings point to a widening gap between fee regulation on paper and implementation on the ground. The survey comes amid protests in several cities over rising school fees, alleged arbitrary charges and claims of non-compliance with fee regulation norms.According to the survey, 70% of parents said private schools increased fees by at least 30% between 2023 and 2026. Of them, 33% reported sharper hikes ranging from 50% to more than 80%.The survey covered respondents from tier 1 to tier 4 locations. Parents said the rise in school fees has made private education increasingly difficult for middle-class and financially weaker families.The survey found that nine in 10 parents felt state govts or district administrations were ineffective in capping or limiting fee increases. While 51% said authorities did not even take up the issue, 41% said officials spoke about the problem but failed to make any impact.Parents also flagged alleged non-compliance with court directives and fee regulation frameworks, including arbitrary charges, unapproved revisions and lack of financial transparency. In some cases, schools were alleged to have raised fees without prior approval or continued hikes despite adverse court orders.The findings come against the backdrop of protests in HYderabad, Delhi, Noida and Dhanbad. Parents have raised concerns over pressure tactics, including denial of access to classes and threats of expulsion for non-payment.The survey said court interventions would have limited impact unless state govts acted at the local level to enforce transparency and fee regulation.
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