'More than my entire education expense': Delhi CA pays Rs 4.3 lakh as son's playschool fee

A chartered accountant's post on his son’s playschool fee structure hit a raw nerve among many parents online. Sharing a screenshot of his child's yearly fee structure, the Delhi-based CA said the cost was "greater than the total amount he paid for his own education".

"My son's playschool fee is more than my entire education expense. I hope vo ache se khelna seekhle yaha! (I hope he learns to play properly here.)"

The post showed the term wise split of the amount to be paid, in addition to a registration fee and an annual fee. The man was charged Rs 10,000 as a non-refundable registration fee, an annual recurring fee of Rs 25,000 and Rs 98,750 each for four three-month terms, between April 2024 and March 2025.

The final total was Rs 4.3 lakh. The post went viral, garnering over a 1 million views, resonating with several parents in Delhi. "Kyun daalna hain aise schools main bacchon ko? How different the education is? Does the fee guarantee any good education or upbringing? If not - are you just paying for facilities?" one user wrote.

"Question is why do parents choose these institutions," another user wrote.

A Gurgaon man recently shared that he was paying Rs 30,000 per month as his Class 3 son's school fees and estimated that the amount could reach upto Rs 9 lakh per annum when he got to Class 12.

The Delhi government has recently issued an order mandating that recognised private schools, which have been allotted land by the government, must obtain prior approval from the Directorate of Education (DoE) before implementing any fee hikes for the upcoming 2024-25 academic session.

According to the order, recognised private schools with the land allotted by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) cannot increase their fees without the explicit approval of the Directorate of Education.