hema singuluri I hyderabad

Planning to get your toddler admitted in a nursery school? Gear up for a shock. Fee in such schools has hit the roof. Majority of the institutions charge anywhere between ₹2.5 lakh for nursery and over ₹3 lakh for higher primary grades.  Schools blame it on operational costs and infrastructure upgrades. For families, however, it’s a financial nightmare while some are even turning to change schools multiple times and take loans to keep up with preschool education costs.  

Spandana G, a resident of Kukatpally, plans tuition loans for both her children aged four-and-a-half and seven, studying at Hyderabad Public School, Begumpet. “Honestly, I still can’t believe we’re talking lakhs for LKG and Nursery. We are taking loans for preschool education, and schools have turned into a luxury club rather than a childhood learning space,” she said. Her younger child’s fees stand at ₹1,71,000 annually, while her older son’s reach ₹2 lakh. “Lunch and evening snacks are the add-on costs. I don’t feel it is necessary to pay for extracurricular and participation clubs,” she added, pointing to the endless charges for every school celebration.”   

Concurring with her is Durgesh Badiga, a Gachibowli resident, pays ₹2.7 lakh per year for his five-year-old daughter’s kindergarten at Chirec International School. It is approximately ₹2,61,532 for Nursery, ₹2,66,375 for LKG, and ₹2,71,308 for UKG. Apart from this, the additional costs add up- transportation, which is around ₹14,000 per year, depending on the distance and lunch which is approximately ₹29,900 per year.

The fee for the Kondapur campus for the same age group is expected to be slightly higher, with an estimated yearly cost of ₹2,81,521 in 2026-2027. He adds, parents are being cornered into buying overpriced uniforms, stationary kits, and books from schools directly. “This sort of business model is squeezing every parent, not just the rich. They always try to convince us that they offer something special which is not true”, he added.  

Rajesh and Gayatri, from Bowenpally, send their six-year-old son to Oakridge International School in Gachibowli. “The fee for kindergarten is around ₹3.3 lakh,” they said, adding that nursery and LKG/UKG fees range between ₹3.3 and ₹3.5 lakh”. However, At Oakridge’s Bachupally campus, the range climbs to ₹3.14–₹4.3 lakh through Grade 5. “Same subject and the same “ABC” are taught for such a high fee. We are paying these premium fees while seeing no guarantee of premium education,” Rajesh said. From AC classrooms to annual-day contributions and field trips, he said, “the price keeps getting high.” 

Even schools once considered affordable are no longer the same. The Future Kid’s School, Nanakramguda, charges  Rs  1.06 lakh for LKG ( Rs  1.17 lakh with food, and up to  Rs  2 lakh with transportation). Manthan International School lists  Rs  3,04,800 for LKG. The list goes on; Orchids International demands about Rs 1.1 lakh for pre-nursery, and Oxford Grammar High School takes  Rs  70,000 annually. Little Millennium Preschool charges  Rs 85,800 for its Read to Fly I programme, excluding field trips and daycare. 

Social media is awash with outrage. Parents call the system “exploitative” and “scam-like,” arguing that education has turned into a business. Some, however, say those unable to afford elite institutions should choose differently an argument others counter by calling for transparency and government intervention. The frustration lies not only in high tuition but in what comes after, and the endless “add-ons” disguised as facilities and quality education.