Education for All, Not Just for Those Who Can Afford It!”
Raising a child in India is undoubtedly a labor of love, but recent revelations shed light on the increasingly heavy financial burden that comes with it, particularly in terms of education. Parents are facing exorbitant costs, amounting to a staggering Rs 30 lakh from ages 3 to 17, raising concerns about the unchecked monopoly of education pricing.
The journey begins with admission fees, a significant one-time expense ranging from Rs 25,000 to Rs 75,000 in most tier-I cities. While some schools offer sibling discounts, the initial financial strain remains substantial.
Preschooling, including nursery and kindergarten, only adds to the financial load, with average tuition fees ranging from Rs 60,000 to Rs 1.5 lakh per year. For working parents, daycare centers become a necessity, with professional facilities in metro cities charging up to Rs 5,000 to Rs 8,500 per day. This translates to an annual expense of up to Rs 2 lakh, further stretching family budgets.
As children progress to primary school, tuition fees soar even higher, ranging from Rs 1.25 lakh to Rs 1.75 lakh per year. By the time a child completes primary education, parents can expect to have spent around Rs 5.50 lakh.
Middle school brings another wave of expenses, with average yearly fees ranging from Rs 1.6 lakh to Rs 1.8 lakh. Overall, parents may end up spending a whopping Rs 9.5 lakh during the middle school years alone.
This unchecked monopoly of education costs is a significant concern for parents, particularly those from middle-class backgrounds. In a country like India, where citizens pay taxes to support public services, the burden of education costs seems unjustifiable. Education, being a fundamental right, should ideally be accessible to all children without imposing such heavy financial burdens on families.
The escalating costs of education underscore the urgent need for policymakers to address this issue and explore avenues for making education more affordable and accessible to all. Recent developments, such as the historic billion-dollar donation received by the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, which ensures tuition-free education, highlight the possibilities of alternative funding models. Such initiatives could serve as inspiration for Indian policymakers to prioritize affordable education and alleviate the financial strain on families.
While education undoubtedly plays a vital role in shaping a child’s future, the current financial strain threatens to exclude many from accessing quality education. As expenses continue to rise, it’s crucial for parents to advocate for change and demand a more equitable and affordable education system that truly serves the needs of all children, regardless of their socioeconomic background.