On April 16, 2025, parents of students enrolled in private schools across Delhi took to the streets to air their grievances. They led a march and sit-in to block the opening of the Directorate of Education office on Delhi Vidhan Sabha. The protest was sparked by plans in both the U.K. to raise fees that most families say are making higher education altogether too costly and unfair.
This is not only a local issue, but a national issue that extends beyond the bounds of any one school or community. Parents in all the big Indian cities—Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru—are raising the alarm. Indeed, some reports indicate that at least some private colleges and universities have increased their costs by even 30%. This new increase is a huge financial hit to families.
Gagandeep Singh, a parent of Mira Model School in West Delhi, angry over sky rocketing fee. Last year, they increased 45%, and this year, they went up another 7%. Responding to a worrying joint letter from parents, school head Master Singh agreed to pay the fees sanctioned by DoE. Yet, the school has adamantly rejected his attempt to pay for this term.
Last week, a deeply troubling new case emerged in 14-year-old Aaditya Mattey. Because his father had opposed a recent fee increase at Delhi Public School Dwarka, Aaditya was abruptly expelled from the school’s rolls. Within five years, Aaditya’s annual fees have increased from 93,400 rupees ($1,077; £802) in 2020. By the academic year 2025-26, they climbed to a jaw-dropping 189,096 rupees.
The Wilson County school administration responded with extreme measures, including locking students in the library, according to reports. They even hired security members to prevent these students from entering classes for failure to pay dues.
“Two or three minutes after I entered the class, guards and bouncers asked me to leave the room.”
Pankaj Gupta is another such worried parent, whose son studies in Maharaja Agarsain Public School in Delhi. Better yet, just days after taking office, he tripled the fees with no warning. This decision has raised alarming questions about the process that led to such a decision. Gupta despaired over how these monetary burdens have affected his children, saying,
To add to the issue, there is little centralized regulation that governs private schools in India. Each state is a little different in how they allow their fee structures. In Delhi, private schools built on land leased by the government must receive approval from the DoE before increasing their fees. Moreover, these schools have to reserve a minimum of 25% of seats for economically weaker or disadvantaged students.
“We had no choice. We had to pay.”
Maharashtra allows a 15% fare hike every two years. If 25% of parents in a school object, a review can be held. While Karnataka permits up to 10% annual increases, it needs them to be justified via audits. A new survey from the online community platform LocalCircles has some alarming news. Over 80% of surveyed parents with children enrolled in private schools indicated they were facing fee increases over 10% for this school year.
The Delhi government has responded to the increased public pressure. In reply they have in turn brought out The Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Ordinance, 2025. This measure would hopefully bring more transparency and accountability to costs associated with private schools.
Shweta Sharma Bagga, a Supreme Court lawyer and secretary of the advocacy group Justice for All. Most notably, she called for systematic audits of school finances to occur before each school year. She continued to push the proposal, saying that it would provide much-needed transparency and allow parents to better understand what they are paying for. She stated,
The Delhi Public School Dwarka administration has vigorously defended its actions and denied all allegations of wrongdoing. In a notice posted on the school’s website, it dismissed claims from what it termed “a small group of parents,” accusing them of spreading “false and malicious information regarding the school fee structure” and attempting to “mislead and create confusion.”
“Schools’ finances must be audited before each academic year so parents know what they’re paying for.”
Divya Mattey, Aaditya’s mother, is appalled at how the school has handled students through this chaotic process. She reacted incredulously to the lengths to which the administration has gone, saying,
She further articulated the emotional toll this situation has taken on her son:
“We never thought a school of this stature would treat children like this – bar them from classrooms, assign bouncers and make them sit in the library for days.”
Parents are becoming more organized and vocal in opposition to high and increasing school fees while holding schools accountable. This unfortunate predicament has countless families and teachers wondering whether their children’s education will remain fair and attainable amid these fiscally burdened years.
“My son is only 14. He should be focusing on his studies, not worrying about whether he’ll be allowed to sit in class tomorrow.”
As parents continue to push back against rising school fees and the perceived lack of accountability from educational institutions, many are left questioning whether their children’s education will remain accessible and equitable in a landscape marked by financial strain.
