Fee hike in pvt schools: Rights, ethical concerns, economic strain fuel row

Bengaluru, NT Bureau: The issue of fee hikes in private schools has once again ignited debates in Bengaluru as schools start to reopen in the city.

Private minority schools assert their right to establish, manage and determine their own fees under Articles 29 and 30 of the Indian Constitution, which guarantees minorities the right to conserve their language, script or culture, and to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice.

Similarly, non-minority private schools claim their right to profession under Article 19(1)(g), which allows citizens the freedom to practice any profession, or to carry on any occupation, trade or business.

SC's stance on fee regulation

Despite these constitutional rights, the Supreme Court of India has clarified that while these institutions have the right to manage their affairs, they do not have the right to mismanage them.

Furthermore, schools may set their own fees, but they cannot profitee or commercialise education, as established in numerous Supreme Court rulings. The challenge lies in determining when a school is profiteering or commercialising education.

Fee hikes amidst economic pressures

Compared to state syllabus schools, central syllabus schools have increased their fees by 30-35 per cent. For instance, a private school in South Bengaluru has hiked fees from Rs 1.60 lakh to Rs 2.16 lakh, a 35 per cent increase.

This significant hike is causing a strain on parents who are already burdened by other expenses. This has also led to several students switching schools quite often as most private schools allegedly give TCs to students who delay fee payment without notice, impacting their education and mental health.

Allegations of unethical practices

A recent case in point is a private school in RT Nagar, Bengaluru, which has been accused of unethical practices.

Allegations include charging a maintenance fee of Rs 16,000 annually, in addition to a tuition fee of Rs 1,10,000, without informing parents at the time of admission.

Parents have described these charges as illegal and indicative of the school’s profiteering practices. Such hidden fees and additional charges are common complaints among parents.

Hidden, additional charges

While several popular private schools in Bengaluru claim to collect fees as per the rules under the Right to Education (RTE) Act, parents and other sources claim that the schools set their regular fees as per rules and regulations but include multiple hidden fees and add-ons such as maintenance fees, extra facility fees, convenience fees, and mandatory donations.

This often leads to an increment of fees by more than 30 to 50 per cent. Several parents attribute COVID-19 as one of the reasons for the fee hike.

Government's attempt to regulate fees

In 2021, the Karnataka government issued a mandate stating that schools should collect only 70 per cent of the fees from students and cut 30 per cent.

The Primary and Secondary Education Department also instructed schools not to collect fees in any other form (development fees, transportation fees, special amenities fees) and to refund 30 per cent of the amount of fees that had already been collected or adjust it with the 2021-22 academic year.

Lack of instalment options

While many schools used to offer instalment options previously which made it easier on employed parents, many schools are not offering instalment options for fee payments, causing concern among parents.

One parent of a child studying in a private school in the city questioned, “As a middle-class father of two, how can I suddenly get my hands on Rs 1.5 lakhs to Rs 3 lakh?” This lack of flexibility adds to the financial and mental strain on families, especially middle-class parents who aim to provide quality education for their children.