‘No amount of inflation can…’: Bengaluru parents fume over $2.1 lakh fee for third class

Parents in Bengaluru are taking to the streets and social media, angry over high private school fees after a post revealed an annual fee of $2.1 lakh for a third-year student.

The fee breakdown, shared by the Parents’ Association, includes $1.9 lakh for tuition fees, $9,000 for annual fees, and $1,149 an amount named ‘Disprest’. The post’s caption summed up the frustration: “$2.1 lakh fees for third standard in Bengaluru. No amount of inflation can justify this. Govt regulates engineering college fees but avoids the issue of school fees. There is no business like school business.”

The Parents’ Association Voice called for immediate government intervention, describing the situation as “profitability and commercialization of education”. While recognizing the constitutional rights of schools to act independently under sections 29, 30 and 19(1)(g), the group argued that these freedoms do not allow for excessive redundancy.

The association urged the government to establish committees to set fees and impose strict oversight to prevent schools from exploiting weak regulatory systems. He also accused schools of resisting accountability measures and criticizing corruption for perpetuating the problem.

The viral post sparked intense discussion on social media about affordability and accessibility of education. One user argued, “Running a school with good infrastructure is expensive, and expansion fees can have negative consequences. The best solution is to open high-quality public schools.” Others pointed to systemic transformations as a solution, with a commenter writing, “When you choose high-quality public schools, you will improve It is the government’s job to ensure free and quality education for all.”

Some users attributed the high fees to the excellent international curriculum. “Schools in areas such as 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, allowing schools to charge fees subtly.”