I remember my grandma telling me stories of olden days, where people who sent their kids to school were rewarded by the district government and even provided with monetary benefits. Grandma was the first person to come out from the town, leaving her 1 year old daughter (my mom) with her –in-laws and finish her MA M.Ed in a college. She had to stay in a hostel and come home to see her daughter and husband only once in 3 months. In fact a woman going to college after marriage was very uncommon in the 1950s and she did it. She is a great inspiration to all of us in the family and we really admire her boldness which none of us hold till today. She still advises us that every woman should be given proper education which is more important than anything else. But the education system now has become completely commercialized.
I’m wondering if the growth of the IT field has become a boon or a curse to major cities like Bangalore. I remember my school days when we used to come to this Garden city for family trips during our summer vacation. Very calm city with a pleasant climate and beautiful sight of greeneries. Today we no more call this a Garden city. Rather it is called the Silicon Valley. It looks posh with world class IT parks and people feel that the city is enriched with money that no one can imagine about.
The education system has become completely commercialized with zero intervention of the State Government. Schools are allowed to charge the fees they wish and increase the fee to any extent and nobody even cares about it. Looking for schools for my 2.5 year old daughter made me realize how commercial the education system has become. Any reputed school has its own ego not to charge lesser than a lakh of rupees for a nursery group (not even LKG). One of the schools which I’ve been to, demands 75000 donation, 65000 yearly fee, 20000 bus fee and 12000 books and uniform fee. And they proudly say, “we’re not charging an extra rupee after the prescribed fee and we’re very transparent” (no hidden charges is what they meant).
One another school says “We’re strict about the interview process. A formal test would be conducted which includes alphabets, numbers, fruits, colors, shapes and 3 rhymes. Rs. 1000 for Application, and 65000 for donation and 45000 is the yearly fee”. If a 2.5 year old kid knows them all, only then he/she is eligible for nursery. Then what the hell are they going to teach them for a year in nursery??? Why are they charging 1.1 lakh fees when the kid is going to teach them the alphabets and rhymes??
I wonder, what the word “donation” really means. My teacher had taught me that donation refers to the contribution made by an individual out of his own interest for a specific noble purpose. Even the Merriam Webster dictionary says “To donate is to contribute to a public or charitable cause”. No where have I ever heard that donation is a compulsive gift taken for a commercial purpose. But this is the reality. Here are some of the fees structures for schools in Bangalore for admission to nursery.
| S.No. | Application | Donation (Admission) | Yearly fee | Transport | Uniforms, books (Misc) | Total |
| 1. | 600 | 75000 | 65000 | 20000 | 12000 | 172600 |
| 2. | 1000 | 65000 | 45000 | 12000 | 7000 | 130000 |
| 3. | 1000 | 85000 | 45000 | Depends on distance (Min 7000 to max???) | 10000 | 131000 + transport |
| 4. | 500 | 20000 | 64000 | Depends on distance | 10000 | 94500 |
| 5. | 500 | 25000 | 45000 | NA | 5000 | 75500 (people call this cheaper :P) |
| 6. | 400 | 30000 | 26000 | 12000 | 5000 | 73400 |
| 7. | 1000 | 35000 | 70000 | Depends on distance (Min 12000 to max????) | 5000 | 111000 + transport |
Now let’s see the fee structure of day care centers that are running nursery and play group schools.
| S.No. | Application | Donation (Admission) | Yearly | Transport | Uniforms, books (Misc) | Total |
| 1. | 200 | 18500 | 32000 | 6000 | 2000 | 58700 |
| 2. | – | 12000 | 67200 (They call this as a discounted rate for corporates) | 12000 | – (They say that they’re giving uniforms and books free of cost 😀 ) | 91200 |
| 3. | – | 5000 | 36000 | 7500 | 3800 | 52300 |
| 4. | 300 | 45000 | 93600 | No transport | – | 138900 |
And the above mentioned fee structure are likely to go through an increment of 10% per year is what the schools admit. On an average for a kid’s education, we might need to spend as follows:
| Class | Average fee |
| Nursery | 100000 (including the donation) |
| LKG | 75000 (since donation is not applicable from year 2) |
| UKG | 82500 (considering 10% increment) |
| 1st std | 90750 |
| 2nd std | 99825 |
| 3rd std | 109807 |
| 4th std | 120787 |
| 5th std | 132865 |
| 6th std | 146151 |
| 7th std | 160766 |
| 8th std | 176842 |
| 9th std | 194526 |
| 10th std | 213978 |
| 11th std | 235375 |
| 12th std | 258912 |
| Total | 2198084 |
OMG. I’m tired of these calculations and analysis. Now God should give me the strength to bear this!! And please note that I haven’t taken the growing inflation into account.
I have heard that students should obey their teachers. But now, we parents need to obey the schools by paying them what they demand. Will this never come to an end??
By the way, is there an education department in our state?? Or should we advertise that Education Department is missing and people who find it will be rewarded!!
15 thoughts on “ABCD = 1 Lakh????”
wow..great statistics subha and very well written!!! … tough life ahead for both kids and parents !!!
wow..great statistics subha and very well written!!! … tough life ahead for both kids and parents !!!
Very Very good post Subha..
Clearly shows your research done.. Keep writing posts in English as well.
Nice article…
Education is the best business now a days! Guaranteed customers every year.
No use of blaming govt, as most of the institutes are owned my politicians!!
-Sandeep Kamath
:O not my politicians!! I am not involved. It’s ‘by politicians!! 🙂
-Sandeep Kamath
Nice article…
Education is the best business now a days! Guaranteed customers every year.
No use of blaming govt, as most of the institutes are owned my politicians!!
-Sandeep Kamath
:O not my politicians!! I am not involved. It’s ‘by politicians!! 🙂
-Sandeep Kamath
Subha.. very scary figures n facts yaar !! Our ministers’ variety of scandals are shown in TV colorfully.. But these donations n fees are no less than any scandal 😡 Wish some thing comes up to eradicate these system flaws..
Subha.. very scary figures n facts yaar !! Our ministers’ variety of scandals are shown in TV colorfully.. But these donations n fees are no less than any scandal 😡 Wish some thing comes up to eradicate these system flaws..
Thanks Janani, Dheeraj, Sandeep and Divya for ur views..
@Sandeep: Don’t worry.. We understand that they are not YOUR politicians 😀
@Divya: Even I wish the same too yaar.. But these wishes might remain unfulfilled 🙁
Thanks Janani, Dheeraj, Sandeep and Divya for ur views..
@Sandeep: Don’t worry.. We understand that they are not YOUR politicians 😀
@Divya: Even I wish the same too yaar.. But these wishes might remain unfulfilled 🙁
Subha This is Really Fabulous. Imagine for 13 Students it cost 2198084, what about 10000 Students – 21980840000 — TWENTY-ONE BILLION NINE HUNDRED EIGHTY MILLION EIGHT HUNDRED & FORTY THOUSAND…!!!
Now you got the definition for Poverty in India.
I Encourage you, Don’t just blog it In , Also Blog it Out.
Subha This is Really Fabulous. Imagine for 13 Students it cost 2198084, what about 10000 Students – 21980840000 — TWENTY-ONE BILLION NINE HUNDRED EIGHTY MILLION EIGHT HUNDRED & FORTY THOUSAND…!!!
Now you got the definition for Poverty in India.
I Encourage you, Don’t just blog it In , Also Blog it Out.
When India got independence most of the services were converted to Business. Education is also one among them… No one is cared about others. people’s thought and act are towards their family and none were concerned about others… When everyone respects others problems like this will get solved. But for that we all need a ANNIYAN (sounds crazy rite???).
When India got independence most of the services were converted to Business. Education is also one among them… No one is cared about others. people’s thought and act are towards their family and none were concerned about others… When everyone respects others problems like this will get solved. But for that we all need a ANNIYAN (sounds crazy rite???).