In India’s metros, fee circulars now shock more than surprise. Paying ₹12–20 lakh annually for a child’s schooling has become routine in elite private schools, figures usually reserved for Ivy League tuition.

But while parents in New York or Singapore earn three to five times more, Indian families are stretched thin. Teachers here often earn ₹40–60,000 a month, compared to global peers making USD 5,000–7,000, highlighting the yawning gap between fees and delivery.

Hidden charges, books, uniforms, apps, excursions, add lakhs more. Regulators attempt to cap hikes, but schools slip costs under “development” or “activity” heads.

And what’s the return? Parents report crowded classrooms of 35–40 students, overworked teachers, and facilities shared by thousands. More than learning, it is exclusivity and peer networks that drive these costs.

The result is a fractured education system: elite schools for the top 1%, budget private schools for the striving middle, and underfunded government schools for the rest. With fees rising 150–200% in a decade, Indian education risks becoming less about knowledge, and more about status.