HYDERABAD: As a new academic year begins, private school fees in Telangana continue to soar unchecked, with no regulatory framework in place. The draft bill for the Telangana Private Schools and Junior Colleges Fee Regulation and Monitoring Commission, proposed by the Telangana Education Commission (TEC), is yet to be implemented. In its absence, many private schools have increased fees by 60% to 70% this year.
The Hyderabad School Parents Association (HSPA) expressed concern over the state government’s inaction. “Year after year, schools hike fees and the government remains silent,” said R Murali, a member of HSPA. “We had hoped the TEC would implement a regulatory framework, but all we have is a draft; there is no implementation.”
Parents say the hikes are across the board, from small-budget schools with minimal infrastructure to international schools. The steepest increase has been seen in primary sections (LKG to Class 4).
“Last year, we paid Rs 80,000 for pre-primary, but this year it’s between Rs 1.5 lakh and Rs 2 lakh,” said Suresh Reddy, who recently enrolled his son at a private school in Secunderabad. “When asked, the management cited digital upgrades and campus expansion.”
A survey by LocalCircles, a community-based platform, revealed that school fees in Hyderabad have nearly doubled in the past three years, rising by 50% to 80%.
When contacted, managements of private schools and members of the Telangana Recognised School Managements Association (TRSMA) defended the hike.
“Fee revisions are necessary to cover infrastructure upgrades, salaries for teaching and non-teaching staff and other operational costs,” they said.
Meanwhile, TEC member Prof Vishweshwar Rao confirmed to TNIE that a comprehensive report on fee regulation has been submitted to the state government.
“It is currently under discussion and will be presented in the upcoming Assembly session to be enacted as law. In the meantime, we are receiving numerous complaints about excessive fee collection and are engaging with school managements to understand and, where necessary, take action,” he said.
TGBIE aims to cross One lakh admissions in government junior colleges
Hyderabad: The Telangana Board of Intermediate Education (TGBIE) has set a target of exceeding one lakh admissions in government junior colleges for the academic year 2025–2026. So far, around 35,000 admissions have been recorded.
According to TGBIE officials, 83,635 students were enrolled in government junior colleges across the state last year. Krishna Aditya, director of Intermediate Education, recently held a meeting to review the progress of admissions in 430 government junior colleges.
During the meeting, he interacted with principals and junior lecturers, informed them about the current admission numbers and reiterated the goal of exceeding one lakh admissions this year. He advised lecturers to actively coordinate with nearby school headmasters and parents to raise awareness about the benefits of enrolling in government junior colleges.