Soaring nursery fees give parents the jitters

Some schools charge anywhere from Rs50,000 to Rs1 lakh

MUMBAI: With nursery admissions starting from December, parents have begun the hunt for the perfect school for their children. With pre-primary schools popping up at every corner, parents are spoilt for choice, coupled with the grueling interviews, long queues and donation demands.

However, what bothers them the most is the soaring fee structure. Since no government body regulates the pre-primary schools, the spiralling fees have sent parents in a tizzy.

“The average fees charged are around Rs50,000 to Rs1,00,000, with some schools even demanding around Rs50,000 as donations,” said Vijaya Salunke, a parent.

While schools like Bombay Scottish charge around Rs18,000 a year, others like Euro Kids and Kangaroo Kids cost around Rs50,000 yearly. “We have a straight-forward admission criterion. Although our admission season starts in January or February, most of our seats are given to siblings of our former students, Christian Protestants and teachers’ relatives,” said DPN Prasad, Principal of Bombay Scottish High School. Apart from fees, interviews are another worrying factor for parents.

Another factor that parents are apprehensive about is the distance their child has to travel. “Even though my school is new, I am getting more enquiries than expected. Parents come here looking for a teaching method that doesn’t put pressure on their children. They are ready to travel far for this,” said Shahana Gupta, Principal, Little Dew Drops Montessori School, Lokhandwala.