Parents are infuriated over the hiked prices of textbooks, leaving low- and middle-income families in a dilemma, as shifting to public institutes is not a substitute given the quality of education. Read the full story here.
Photo : TN Innovations
Social media is once again packed with tweets from parents who have been protesting against the steep book fees being charged by private institutions for days now. The issue gained momentum when a screenshot showing schools charging Rs 1,035 for a Class 5 English textbook went viral on the microblogging site X. Soon after, both students and parents started sharing their personal experiences while agitating against private schools and vendors who tie up with them to sell books at inflated costs. They argue that the tuition fee is already high, and the rising textbook cost is adding an extra burden on their pockets.
A recent viral video showed a parent expressing resentment over increased rates of textbooks in Delhi’s premier institutes. “My children used to study in private schools earlier too, but the total cost used to be around Rs 5k-6k,” adding that a sudden hike in rates led her to pay Rs 900 for a single book and Rs 12,000 for a whole set this year. What’s upsetting is that this is not restricted to a single institution, as the majority of them operating under a private model are practising it.
₹900 for one book. ₹12K for a set.
Education or extortion? Parents aren’t ATM machines.
This racket runs on fear, not learning.#EducationScam Bharat #DelhiPolice Bengali #MeraBoothSabseMazboot West Bengal #CAPFBill_रद्द_करो Bihar #TamilNadu pic.twitter.com/InjK8oo1MW— Opinionatedowl.india (@owl_opinio21917) March 30, 2026
Since even the elementary classes are not exempt from paying hiked prices, netizens have started tagging the authorities, urging strict action against the capriciousness of private institutions. “How is this even justified? ₹900 for one junior class book, ₹12,000 for the full set, this isn’t education, it’s a money-making racket. Parents are being squeezed from every side just to give their kids a basic education. How long will this loot continue?” one user wrote.
Some are also slamming the system alleging that, “Parents are so helpless that they cannot take their child out of the school and find another one. Every private school is looting them, while government schools are considered worthless, as seen in cases where even the principal does not know the spelling of “principal” herself.”
