In Telangana’s most developed district of Siddipet, private schools have been charging exorbitant fees from parents to admit their children, exploiting the lack of government oversight. Despite numerous complaints, government officials have turned a blind eye, allowing these schools to continue fleecing parents without hindrance.
Parents have reported that private school managements are arbitrarily setting high fees for admission, uniforms, textbooks, and other necessities, treating education as a commercial venture. For instance, admission fees for nursery classes can reach up to Rs 60,000. In the guise of offering International, Techno, and IIT Olympiad programs, these schools demand even higher fees.
Additionally, some private schools have established on-campus counters for selling notebooks and textbooks or have exclusive arrangements with certain bookshops, forcing parents to buy from these specified outlets. They also insist that students purchase uniforms, carry bags, and masks from designated sellers. Transportation fees are collected separately, further inflating the costs.
Despite multiple government orders aimed at curbing these practices, there has been no effective enforcement, and tuition fees remain uncontrolled. Parents, desperate to provide their children with quality education, often resort to borrowing from friends or moneylenders, further enabling the schools to charge hefty fees.
The proliferation of private schools across the district, often in violation of regulations, has drawn criticism. The government is under fire for granting permissions to these schools despite their failure to meet infrastructural standards. Concerns include the lack of fire safety measures, playgrounds, and other essential amenities.
With schools reopening on June 12, the admission process has begun in earnest. Several students’ unions are demanding immediate government action against unrecognized private schools that lack necessary facilities. They are calling for stricter regulations and enforcement to protect parents and students from exploitation by these profit-driven institutions.
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