Palampur: Parents worried as pvt schools demand hefty admission fee

With the commencement of the new academic session, middle-class parents seeking admission for their children into kindergarten classes in private schools are facing significant distress, as it has become increasingly difficult to secure admissions. There have been reports of schools demanding hefty sums as admission fee from parents.

In the absence of any regulatory oversight by the state government, many private schools are reportedly charging admission fees ranging from Rs 40,000 to Rs 50,000 for nursery and first-grade classes, under the pretext of being English-medium institutions that offer quality education.

Even government school teachers are reluctant to enroll their own children in government schools due to poor quality of education and inadequate facilities. This trend has contributed to a high dropout rate in government schools this year.

It is worth recalling that successive state governments over the past 15 years have made repeated claims about improving the quality of basic education in government schools. However, there has been no visible qualitative change sufficient to convince parents to choose state-run schools for their children.

A senior officer from the State Education Department said at present, there is no law in Himachal Pradesh to regulate the admission process and fee structures of privately managed schools, unlike in Delhi, Tamil Nadu, and some other states. He added that without specific legislation, the Education Department is powerless to assist affected parents. Until the state government enacts a law, private schools are likely to continue overcharging parents.

People’s Voice, a local NGO, has expressed deep concern over the sharp increase in private school fees this year. KB Ralhan, a member of the NGO, said just as the state has implemented the HP Private University Regulation Act, it should also introduce legislation to regulate the admissions and fee structures of private schools by establishing a regulatory authority. This would help protect parents from financial exploitation.