Parents in Hyderabad are confronting a severe financial strain as private schools in Telangana have implemented a sharp fee hike of up to 30% for new admissions for the 2026-27 academic year. This increase comes amid a continued delay in the implementation of a state-wide school fee regulation policy, leaving families frustrated and demanding immediate government intervention.
Parental Outcry Over Soaring Admission Costs
The fee revision, which parents report has already been activated by many institutions that began their admission process this month, is causing significant distress. Shruthi M from Begumpet shared her shock upon discovering that a top city school is now charging over Rs 3 lakh for LKG admission, a significant jump from the approximately Rs 2.5 lakh fee last year. She further alleged that the school is not permitting parents to tour the campus until the online application form is submitted along with the full fee.
Shruthi's experience is not isolated. She stated that while looking at schools in Begumpet and Secunderabad, almost all well-known institutions are demanding exorbitant fees, with the average entry-level fee being around Rs 1.5 lakh.
Another parent, Bharat R from Uppal, provided a stark comparison. "Last year, we enrolled my brother's son in LKG in a well-known school and paid about Rs 70,000 as the annual fee. Now, when I went to enquire for my daughter, the fee is close to Rs 1 lakh," he said, highlighting the rapid inflation in educational costs.
Existing Students Not Spared from Hike
The financial pressure is not limited to new admissions. Parents have alleged that several schools have also increased fees for existing students by over 15%. Kranthi Krishna voiced a common grievance, stating, "My daughter's fee is set to increase by 22% in the new academic year. I fail to understand why schools are revising the fee so sharply every year when there is barely any change in infrastructure or the quality of education they provide." This hike will bring her annual expenditure for her child in class 8 to nearly Rs 3 lakh.
Stakeholders Clash Over Causes and Solutions
School managements, however, argue that such steep hikes are not the norm. KV Praveen Raju from the Independent School Managements Association claimed that this practice is "limited to a handful of schools." He explained, "Only top schools, which have very high demand, are able to revise their fee by such a huge percentage." Nevertheless, he expressed that all schools end up sharing the blame and urged the government to enact regulations by implementing the long-pending Tirupati Rao committee's recommendations.
On the other side, the Hyderabad Schools Parents' Association (HSPA) confirmed receiving a flood of complaints from parents in November. K Venkat Sainath, Organising Secretary of HSPA, criticized government inaction, noting, "It's been two years since the new govt came to power. But apart from saying that education is its priority, it has done nothing. Parents are tired of fighting for fee regulation." He reiterated that many schools have hiked fees by over 40% for new admissions, with existing students facing an annual hike of at least 20%.
The parents' body has urgently called for government action, warning that with admission deadlines for pre-primary classes in most schools falling at the end of November or December, parents will suffer for another year if a decision is delayed.
There might be a glimmer of hope. Officials from the Telangana Education Commission (TEC) have acknowledged the issue and the complaints from parents. PL Vishweswer Rao, a member of TEC, stated, "We are pushing the govt to bring in fee regulation at the earliest i.e by January." This promise of regulation by January is now the focal point for anxious parents across Hyderabad.
