Bangalore schools punch holes in parents' pockets

Parents sending their wards to reputed private schools in the city and those aspiring to start their kids’ schooling in these institutions will have to tighten their belts. Most of these schools have decided to increase the annual fees by at least by 10%.

A visit by DNA to some of these schools revealed that they have indeed decided to hike the annual fees and some have already issued circulars.

The Cathedral High School in the city has increased the fees to `65,000 per annum. In 2011, the admission fee charged by the school was Rs42,000 and this year it has been increased to Rs65,000. Reacting to this hike a parent said, “The management have begun including donations in the fees. Practices like this were never present before and it is ridiculous.”

There are many schools in the city which are following suit. Even Bethany High School is thinking of increasing the fee. School principal Robert Khin conceded that they are going to increase the fee by 10%. He told DNA, “Every year there will be a slight increase in fees as the prices of all other resources goes up. When you are ready to pay a little extra for your groceries, fuel, etc, why not for your children’s education.”

“I am sending my children to the same school for four years, but the school is increasing 10 to 12% fee in each academic year. This year also they have informed us to bring the extra amount at the time of admission. It is become difficult for us to manage our financial problems,” said Rangarajan a parent, who is sending children to one of the reputed schools in Bangalore North. He did not wish to mention the school’s name.

“We cannot talk against the schools and we are forced to accept whatever new rules made by them, mainly because there is no unity amongst parents. Each one of us thinks that our kids should get a seat in reputed school and we will agree with everything, even if we are not able to satisfy the needs of the school,” said Shruthi Karthik a parent and an employee with the IT firm. She is sending her daughter to one of the reputed schools in the city, which has at least six branches.

There are few schools in the city, where the fee hike has been much more modest - around two to three per cent. However, parents feel that even this would be difficult to manage.

For example Sophia’s High School has raised the annual fee amount to Rs42,000, from Rs40,000. Even Baldwin’s Girl’s School have raised it to Rs32,000 from last year’s Rs30,000.

Reacting to this, Swagatha Raju, a parent who is sending her daughter to Sophia’s said, “Two thousand is not a small amount, being salaried employees we have our own commitments. School management is raising the fee like this every year, but we are not seeing any changes in our salaries. Schools should consider middle class parents like us while increasing fee.”

Many parents there did agree with Swagatha. Kushala another parent, who got seat for her daughter said, “With the facilities begin provided, I think the marginal increase is very much fair. But if the schools make it a habit every year, it would be difficult for us to afford.”