Rs 60k to Rs 3L: Hyderabad private schools charge huge fee for LKG admission; parents aghast

Hyderabad: A 40-year-old man working in an IT company was looking for a good school to admit his son. However, he was shocked to find that schools in Hyderabad were charging from Rs 60,000 to Rs 3 lakh to admit kids in LKG.

"For the last 4 weeks, I visited at least 5-6 schools in Nallagandla. The fee in international schools ranged from Rs 1.5 lakh to 3 lakh, while it was around Rs 60,000- Rs 80000 in regular ones. Schools with big playgrounds, extra-curricular activities, and modern classrooms are charging huge fees. One school was even charging Rs 3.5 lakh for LKG. It included food for the students. Some international schools are giving 10% corporate discount for parents working in the IT sector," said Varun, a parent working in IT Company.

The exorbitant increase in school fees this year is giving jitters to many parents who are desperate for admission.

10-20% increase every year:

According to the parents whose children are already studying in standard II and IV, there has been a hike in school fees every year.

"My daughter’s fee at for standard III at Saroornagar school is Rs 80, 000. For class IV, we have to shell out Rs 1.15 lakh. The management doesn’t give us a reason for the hike. Surprisingly, the same school that has branches in other areas has different fee structures depending on the location. If it is in the Alwal branch, it is Rs 1.50 lakh and Rs 2 lakh for the Gachibowli branch," said a parent on condition of anonymity.

"There are very few schools which charge basic regular fees which a middle-class family can afford. In the name of building funds and value-added funds, the management is charging a huge fee. Schools that used to charge Rs 50,000 last year have increased fees to 70,000. This increase would affect the parents. Five years ago, it was hard to get admission to a good school. Now you just need money to get admission," said Pradeep, a resident of Manikonda in Hyderabad.

IB curriculum- Parents pay no matter what:

The majority of the parents working in the IT sector are ready to pay high fees.

In an international school in Khajaguda in Hyderabad, the fee for LKG and Class I has been hiked to Rs 5 lakh. It was Rs 3 lakh last year. This excludes transport, books, and uniforms.

Speaking to NewsMeter, a teacher from the international school said, "IB curriculum has international standards. They impart practical knowledge and experiment-based learning. After class VIII, the students write the CAT exam and shift to the US. This year, many schools shifted to the IB curriculum. The standard of Education is also different. We cannot blame the schools for the hike and the parents are also ready to pay for their child's future."

Why schools are shifting to IB curriculum?

One of the reasons the schools are shifting to an IB curriculum is easy admission for those students who hop from one state to another state or even country. "Many NRIs are shifting to India and there are many students who migrate to Hyderabad from Chennai, Bengaluru in the middle of the year. They can easily get admission given the IB curriculum," said a teacher from an International school in Nallagandla.