Parents in Bengaluru are on the streets and on social media, outraged by the dwindling private school fees after a publication revealed an annual fee of Rs 2.1 lakh 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 expenses and ₹11,449 tagged as ‘must-haves’. The caption of the post summed up the frustration: “€2.1 lakh fares for 3rd standard in Bengaluru. No amount of inflation can justify it. The government regulates engineering university fees, but avoids the issue of school fees. There’s no business like the school business. “

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

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

The viral post has sparked an intense debate on social media about accessibility and affordability of education. One user argued that “using a school with good infrastructure is expensive and that cover rates could have adverse results. The best solution is to open quality government schools. Others pointed to systemic changes as a solution, with one commenter saying, “When the privileged choose government schools, their infrastructure will automatically improve. It’s the government’s job to ensure free, quality education for all.”

Some users attributed the high rates to premium international resumes. “Schools in areas like Whitefield and Sarjapur are similarly charged, citing Cambridge and IB programs and smaller class sizes,” noted one commenter. Meanwhile, others blamed market dynamics, noting: “Parents willing to pay these fees create this market, allowing schools to charge exorbitantly.”