Bengaluru Parents Complain 30-40 Per Cent Hike In School Fee, Say Unjustified

Karnataka: Parents in Bengaluru have complained about consistent fee hikes by private schools and expressed helplessness, terming the move by several schools as unjustified. Mentioning that they are already dealing with hikes in transport, books and uniform, and on the top of it, the increase in school fee is putting extra burden on them, making it hard for managing expenses.

According to the complaint, Parents have alleged that schools are consistently hiking fee by 15-20 per cent but in some cases, there are many others who have increased fee by 30-40 per cent, while they themselves have not got enough raise in their salaries or income.

D Shashi Kumar, Secretary of Association of Primary and Secondary Schools in Karnataka has justified the hike in school fee saying it's required to bear the operational cost to run their institutions and also to increase salaries of the teachers. The Secretary said that schools have to deal with operational cost, raising teachers' salaries, therefore an 8-10 per cent hike is inevitable.

Further speaking about hike in school fee, prices of books and uniform, D Shashi Kumar said that various components are taken into consideration when it comes to fee hike. Even in the case of books, a 5-10 per cent is as per the market rates.

However, the Secretary did object to 30-40 per cent hike saying they will not support it. The government should look into complaints by parents and should step in, review the expenditure system of the school to know whether the hike is justified or not.

Karnataka Education Minister Madhu Bangarappa said that though the government cannot do much when it comes to hiking the fee by private schools, but added that they would request them not to make such harsh hikes and consult the government in such matters.