'No amount of inflation can...': Bengaluru parents outrage over ₹2.1 lakh fees for 3rd grade

Parents in Bengaluru are taking to the streets and social media, outraged over skyrocketing private school fees after a post revealed a ₹2.1 lakh annual fee for a third-grade student.

The fee breakdown, shared by the Voice of Parents Association, includes ₹1.9 lakh for tuition, ₹9,000 for annual charges, and ₹11,449 labeled as “imprest.” The post’s caption summed up the frustration: “₹2.1 lakh fees for 3rd standard in Bengaluru. No amount of inflation can justify this. The government regulates engineering college fees but avoids the topic of school fees. There's no business like school business.”

The Voice of Parents Association has called for immediate government intervention, describing the situation as “profiteering and commercialization of education.” While acknowledging schools’ constitutional rights to operate autonomously under Articles 29, 30, and 19(1)(g), the group argued that these freedoms do not permit excessive profiteering.

The association urged the government to establish fee determination committees and enforce strict oversight to prevent schools from exploiting weak regulatory systems. It also accused schools of resisting accountability measures and criticized corruption for perpetuating the problem.

The viral post has triggered an intense debate on social media about the affordability and accessibility of education. One user argued that “running a school with good infrastructure is expensive, and capping fees could have adverse outcomes. The best solution is opening quality government schools.” Others pointed to systemic shifts as the solution, with a commenter writing, “When the privileged choose government schools, their infrastructure will automatically improve. It’s the government’s job to ensure free and quality education for all.”

Some users attributed the high fees to premium international curricula. “Schools in areas like Whitefield and Sarjapur charge similarly, citing Cambridge and IB programs and smaller class sizes,” one commenter noted. Meanwhile, others blamed market dynamics, observing, “Parents willing to pay such fees create this market, enabling schools to charge exorbitantly.”