School’s ₹7.5 Lakh Fee Sparks Debate Over Soaring Cost of Education
School’s ₹7.5 Lakh Fee Sparks Debate Over Soaring Cost of Education
Viral post on international school’s fee structure raises questions about affordability and regulation
The ever-rising cost of private education in India has once again become a flashpoint for debate after the fee details of an international school in Bengaluru went viral on social media. The school, affiliated with the International Baccalaureate (IB) board, has set its annual tuition fee at ₹7.35 lakh for the 2025–26 academic session, starting from Class 1.
The document circulating online revealed that parents must pay ₹3.67 lakh every six months for the Primary Years Programme (Classes 1–5). In addition to this, a non-refundable admission fee of ₹1 lakh and a ₹1,000 admission charge are also levied. The total annual burden, excluding uniforms, books, transport and extracurricular activities, can cross ₹8 lakh. By Classes 11 and 12, the tuition fee climbs to nearly ₹11 lakh a year.
The viral post, which read “Annual fee structure for primary classes in a reputed school in Bangalore: ₹7,35,000 per year from Class 1 onwards. Don’t miss the ₹1,00,000 non-refundable admission fees,” sparked sharp reactions online.
Some argued that such premium fees apply only to elite schools and parents make choices based on their financial capacity. One commenter compared it to the American International School in Chennai, where tuition costs reportedly touch ₹27 lakh annually.
Others, however, criticised the trend. “Whoever thinks this is justified should look at the reality. Education is a basic right of every human being,” wrote one user. Another observed, “Educational and medical institutions in Bangalore have become extremely greedy. The biggest problem is that most of them are directly or indirectly controlled by politicians or their families. The question is, does the government have the will to control the fees?”
The debate has also highlighted wider concerns about affordability even for high-earning families. A Reddit post that resurfaced in the wake of the controversy claimed that a couple working at Google spends ₹11.2 lakh annually on a single child’s education in the city. “These fees are unaffordable even for an IT couple earning a combined pretax income of ₹50 lakh per annum with two school-going children,” remarked one user, while another warned that such pricing deepens inequality.
The issue has reignited calls for stricter regulation of private school fees as education costs in metropolitan India continue to climb, putting pressure even on affluent households.
