Hefty donation, fees big hurdle for nursery admission: Survey

Parents of tiny tots aiming for seats in top nursery schools in Delhi say the biggest hurdle they are facing is high 'donation fees' which ranged from Rs 3 lakhs to Rs 8 lakh, a survey has claimed.
The fee structure for nursery and KGs is costlier than that of Delhi University and many management institutions and affording best quality education for children has burnt a hole in the pocket of parents with majority of one-member-earning families often finding it impossible to pay for even one child's education.
Parents are keeping aside an average budget of over Rs 3 lakh to 8 lakh for a single child due to heavy donation fee charged by private schools, Assocham said in a survey.

Parents' applying for admissions in primary schools in National Capital Region (NCR) region have increased their budget from Rs 1 lakh in 2010 to minimum Rs 3 lakh in 2013, it said.
"The survey showed that parents spend a large proportion of their income on their children's education. The cost of education is increasing every year," Assocham Secretary General D S Rawat said.
He said the fee structure for nursery and KGs is costlier than that of Delhi University and many management institutions.

The chamber claimed that it has surveyed about 2,000 parents with a minimum salary bracket of Rs 3 to 8 lakh annually in NCR.

The survey observed that many parents have complained about schools demanding (donation) money without receipt in NCR.
Majority of parents believe it is difficult for a single parent to fund a child's education as the cost of education is rising every year, much ahead of inflation, it said.
"Over 92 per cent parents in one-member-earning families often find it impossible to pay even for one child's education. So, the demand of dual income is common to fulfill the education cost these days," the survey said.