Runaway private school fees: Parents urge Karnataka to adopt Tamil Nadu model ahead of new academic year

With just months left for the next academic year, parents across Karnataka demand strict fee regulation, accusing the Education Department of failing to curb repeated private school fee hikes.

With only a few months remaining for the upcoming academic year, concerns over unregulated fee hikes by private schools have once again surfaced across Karnataka. Parents allege that school fees have been increasing year after year without any effective control, placing a heavy financial burden on families.

Despite repeated complaints, parents claim that the Education Department has failed to regulate private school fees, allowing institutions to continue charging what they term as “unscientific and excessive” amounts. As admission season approaches, anxiety among parents is growing, with many fearing yet another steep hike.

In response, parents across the state are now demanding that Karnataka adopt the Tamil Nadu model of fee regulation to bring relief to families struggling with rising education costs. They have collectively urged Education Minister Madhu Bangarappa to intervene and introduce strict mechanisms to cap private school fees.

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What is the Tamil Nadu Fee Regulation Model?

Tamil Nadu has recently approved the Tamil Nadu Schools (Regulation of Collection of Fee) Amendment Act, 2026, aimed at preventing arbitrary fee hikes in private schools. The amendment was introduced to ease the financial burden on parents and ensure transparency in fee collection.

Under this model, the state government will soon announce the implementation date for a fixed fee limit. A seven-member committee headed by a retired High Court judge will determine the permissible fee structure. The fees fixed by this committee will be mandatory for all private schools.

Importantly, once finalised, the approved fee structure will remain valid for three academic years, offering stability and predictability for parents. The model is expected to significantly reduce the scope for unreasonable and frequent fee increases.

Parents in Karnataka believe that adopting a similar system will help curb arbitrary fee hikes, reduce financial stress, and bring accountability to private schools. They are now waiting for the state government to respond to their united demand.