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The rising fee in private schools across India have become a pressing concern for parents, sparking debates on affordability and access to quality education. Many private institutions demand exorbitant tuition fee, along with additional charges for extracurricular activities, books, and transport, placing a heavy financial burden on middle-class families. These concerns have been raised by several users on social media, but not much has changed on ground. In a post on X, a user has once again highlighted why "good education is a luxury" for middle class.
Sharing the screenshot of the fee structure of a school in Jaipur he was considering for his daughter's admission in Class 1, Rishabh Jain noted that the amount for entire year will reach Rs 4.27 lakh.
"This is the price of quality education in India. Can you afford it even if you earn 20 lakh a year? - NO," he said, venting his frustration.
Good education is a luxury - which middle class can not afford
My daughter will start Grade 1 next year, and this is the fee structure of one of the schools we are considering in our city. Note that other good schools also have similar fees.
- Registration Charges: ₹2,000
-… pic.twitter.com/TvLql7mhOZ
— RJ - Rishabh Jain (@rishsamjain) November 17, 2024
The breakdown of the fee structure is as follows - registration charges: Rs 2,000, admission fees: Rs 40,000, caution money (refundable): Rs 5,000, annual school fees: Rs 2,52,000, bus charges: Rs 1,08,000, books and uniform: Rs 20,000. Total: Rs 4,27,000 per year. The total comes to Rs 4,27,000.
"My daughter will start Grade 1 next year, and this is the fee structure of one of the schools we are considering in our city. Note that other good schools also have similar fees," said Mr Jain.
The post has gone massively viral with more than one million views.
Mr Jain further explained why this fee structure is a burden for those with an annual salary package of Rs 20 lakh.
"50% of your $20k income is extorted by the government in form of Income Tax, GST, VAT on petrol, Road tax, Toll Tax, Professional tax, Capital Gain, Land Registry charges and so on. Then you still have to pay for term insurance, health insurance premiums, and PF, NPS for a old age pension. At 20L income you fall in the highest 30% + CESS tax bracket, do not qualify for government schemes, and do not receive any freebies or loan waivers like rich," noted the X user.
"In the remaining Rs 10L, Either you can have food, clothes, pay rent or EMIs, and save something or you can pay school fees for your two kids... decide," he added.
The post attracted a lot of comments and divided users on social media.
"Bro school uniform worth 20k? Zara or something?" one user asked. "Send them to govt schools. Its free," read another comment.
"Bro it feels like you are exaggerating the numbers! And also purposefully you have picked the costliest school in your city to make this tweet! Not trying to disregard the fact that yes in our country quality edu is a joke and cess that govt collect for edu goes to politicians," said a third user.
Parents frequently protest, calling for government intervention and transparency in fee structures. While private schools defend the fees citing infrastructure and facilities, the gap between quality education and affordability continues to widen.