Private School fee burden under spotlight

■ AP Government studies regulatory mechanism

■ To examine fee regulation models adopted by other states to curb excessive charges by private educational institutions

Metro India News | AMARAVATI

The long-standing issue of steep fee hike in private schools has once again come into focus after the Andhra Pradesh government initiated a study on regulating private school fees, even as a record number of students are shifting from private institutions to government schools.

At a recent review meeting on school education, Education and IT Minister Nara Lokesh directed officials to examine fee regulation models adopted by other states to curb excessive charges by private educational institutions. The move comes amid growing concerns from parents over annual fee hikes, additional charges for books, uniforms, digital classrooms and foundation programmes.

According to officials, over 1.06 lakh students have newly enrolled in government schools this academic year after moving from private schools, reflecting the impact of education reforms and increasing financial pressure on families. Of the state’s 7,620 upper primary schools, 3,515 schools (46.13%) have already reached their maximum student capacity, while 159 schools have been upgraded as model primary schools.

For many middle-class families, private education continues to be a significant financial burden. Parents complain that besides tuition fees, schools levy additional charges under various heads, including smart classrooms, digital learning, sports, books and activity fees, substantially increasing the annual expenditure.

Education department officials acknowledge that fee regulation remains a challenge. While existing provisions require schools to follow prescribed procedures before revising fee structures, implementation has remained weak over the years, with very few formal complaints reaching authorities despite widespread concerns among parents.

A majority of the private and corporate schools in the State are having talks with parents and holding meetings regarding the fee hike for the coming academic year. On an average, majority of the private schools are hiking the school fee by an average of 10-20 per cent every year and also including ‘special fee’ for those students to access digital class rooms. 

According to the education department officials, there are close to 400 private schools in Vijayawada city. While the range of fee was Rs 1,00,000 to Rs 2,25,000 per annum in the academic year 2025-26, it was hiked to Rs 1,20,000 to Rs 3,60,000 for the academic year 2026-27, depending on the class they are studying. In the name of smart classes and digital class rooms, the schools are also charging Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000 additionally every year.

"I paid Rs 1,60,000 per annum for my kid who is studying class 5 this year, as tuition fee. Apart from that I paid Rs 8,000 for Sports and Arts, Rs 5,000 towards notebooks. The school authorities are charging huge sum in the name of smart classes and IIT foundation courses." said T Gowri Shanker, a medical representative residing in Vijayawada city.