HYDERABAD: Parents at a private school in Shaikpet have raised objections to a proposed 10 per cent annual fee increase, arguing that such hikes, if continued year after year, will make schooling unaffordable. They said they plan to take up the issue collectively with the management, even as some have already made individual representations.
“A fee increase cannot be arbitrary. It has to be justified — why 10 per cent and not 8 per cent? Factors like salaries, resources and infrastructure must all be taken into account,” said Prof. P.L. Vishweshwar Rao, member of the Telangana Education Commission (TEC).
Parents stressed that the concern was not a single increase but the compounding effect. One parent, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: “For my child in Class 1, the fee has gone from around ₹1.15 lakh to nearly ₹1.25 lakh. If this continues with a 10 per cent increase every year, it becomes a compounding burden of ₹2.8 lakh by Class X.”
“Our salaries don’t increase at that rate. A yearly 10 per cent hike may sound small, but over time it makes a huge difference. It becomes very difficult for parents to manage,” he added. Parents said they had earlier been told of a 20 per cent increase once in three years, and the change to a yearly hike has led to confusion. They are now seeking a revision to an 8 per cent hike once in two years and plan to meet the management next week.
The TEC has proposed a detailed system to regulate private school fees. The draft bill suggests a commission with powers to fix fee ceilings based on school category and to allow revisions linked to inflation. Schools would be grouped by factors such as location, infrastructure and staff, with a maximum fee fixed for each category. Any increase between revisions would be tied to the Consumer Price Index and remain within the ceiling.
“If a school is increasing fees, they have to justify why. Have they upgraded labs, appointed new teachers, or improved facilities like playgrounds? Any hike should clearly benefit students,” Prof. Rao said. The draft also seeks to restrict schools to a single annual tuition fee and bar additional charges under different heads. “The intention is not to stifle schools, but to ensure quality education with clear rules and accountability,” he added.
Telangana currently does not have a law fixing numeric caps on fee increases. Regulation has largely relied on existing rules and administrative orders. Other states, such as Maharashtra, allow increases up to a fixed limit unless approved by parents, while some link fees to inflation-based formulas.
“Hyderabad is among the cities with the highest fee collections. That makes regulation even more important,” Prof. Rao said.
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