Delays in reimbursement of RTE charges in Karnataka are shifting the burden onto the shoulders of fee-paying parents, reports KAMS | Bangalore News

Bangalore: Hundreds of parents paying school fees in Karnataka are unknowingly taking on part of the government bill to implement the Right to Education (RTE) Act.In a fresh attack on the government, the Karnataka Association of School Management (KAMS) said the state’s failure to revise per child expenses (PCE) and clear long-pending reimbursement payments has forced private schools, which do not receive any assistance, to cross-subsidize RTE admissions by making up the shortfall from fee-paying students, putting both schools and families under financial burden.In a detailed statement submitted to Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, the association said the government’s continued dependence on reimbursement rates fixed nearly a decade ago has led thousands of recognized private schools to financial distress. D. Shashi Kumar, general secretary of KAMS, said that while the government’s expenditure on school education has more than doubled – from about Rs 20,000 crore to over Rs 45,000 crore – reimbursement to private schools is still based on outdated rates of just Rs 8,000 to Rs 16,000 per child.“Every year, the gap between the actual cost of education of an RTE student and the compensation paid by the government is widening. Schools are forced to bridge this gap on their own,” Kumar said.Explaining the consequences, he added: “For every child admitted under the RTE quota, schools spend several times more than what the government reimburses. This shortfall does not just disappear – it is ultimately borne by the schools and, inevitably, by the parents of the remaining 75% of students who pay fees. Ironically, it is the private schools that are accused of overcharging parents.”KAMS leaders said the hardest hit were affordable private schools that primarily serve low- and moderate-income families. With reimbursements falling far short of actual costs and fees for the last two school years that are still unpaid, many schools are struggling to pay staff salaries, maintain infrastructure and invest in classroom improvements.Government says costs are ‘underestimated’The association said the government had significantly underestimated the cost of a child by taking into account only five items of expenditure while excluding more than 50 duplicate components prescribed under the RTE Act and the Karnataka RTE Rules. Based on an analysis of Karnataka budget documents, financial statements, general accounts and other official reports, KAMS has estimated that the actual PCE amount for the academic year 2026-27 should be between Rs 40,000 and Rs 60,000 per child, which is several times the reimbursement amount currently reported.He also alleged that Rs 7 million was recovered from the schools following objections by the auditor arising from what he said was a misinterpretation of the statutory provisions governing PCE.Terming the situation “financially unsustainable”, the association urged the state government to immediately review and notify the PCE for 2026-27 as per the prescribed formula, disclose the methodology used to calculate the expenditure, clear all pending reimbursements and ensure greater transparency in the implementation of the RTE reimbursement mechanism.