Why parents feel trapped by private schools
The article examines the systemic power imbalance between private schools and parents in India, highlighted by a recent incident of abuse in Hardoi and ongoing legal battles over fee regulation. It argues that current regulatory frameworks are failing to protect families from excessive fee hikes and predatory practices by private institutions.
Why it matters
The piece underscores a critical socio-economic crisis in Indian education, where the lack of effective oversight is forcing families into debt and highlighting the failure of state-level policy to curb the commercialization of schooling.
On April 24, 2026, Neelam Verma walked into a private school in Hardoi, Uttar Pradesh, to query a ₹1,300 fee her daughter’s school was demanding. She left humiliated. The school’s principal was caught on video screaming “shut up” at Ms. Verma no fewer than ten times, calling her a “bloody fool” and “gawar” (illiterate) and threatening to strike her daughter’s name from the register. The clip spread across X in hours. An FIR was eventually lodged under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the SC/ST Act, and she was barred from entering the school pending an investigation.
The article adopts a critical stance toward private institutions, emphasizing 'systemic failure' and 'power asymmetry' while advocating for stronger government regulation and consumer protection for parents.
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