In India, private schools in big cities have raised their fees a lot for the 2023-24 school year. The increase is between 8.5% and 15.3%, which means many families are worried about how to pay for school.
Around 2.7 million students go to these private schools, and the average fee is now more than ₹42,000 per year. This is a big jump of 47% since 2018.
Parents are concerned because their incomes aren’t growing as quickly as school fees. Many private schools say they need to raise fees to pay for better technology, teacher salaries, and to improve school buildings. Because of these increases, some families are thinking about moving their kids to public schools instead.
A study shows that 31% of families in private schools are considering this change. Also, 42% of private schools have seen fewer applications for the next school year. Many parents are asking for financial help to pay the fees, which is causing worry among school leaders.
To help families, some schools are offering plans to pay fees in parts, discounts for siblings, and scholarships that can cover a big part of the fees.
However, parents in 47 states have protested because they feel the fee increases are too high compared to how much money people earn.
In response, state education departments are looking into how schools set their fees. They want to make sure schools are being fair and clear about where the money goes.
Experts say that if this keeps happening, private schools might need to change how they operate to stay open.
