Policy Briefs
Enabling Quality and Access: Policy Priorities for Low-Fee Schools in the Telangana School Education System
December 29, 2025
Leveraging the Role and Potential of Low-Fee Private Schools in Kerala’s School Education System
December 29, 2025Equity, Access, and Quality: Leveraging the Potential of Low-Fee Schools in Karnataka’s School Education System
Over the past decade, Karnataka has witnessed rising private participation in school education, with Low-Fee Private Schools (LFPS) emerging as the backbone of this expansion. Low-Fee Private Schools are privately run, unaided institutions that charge minimal monthly tuition fees and primarily cater to low- and lower-middle-income families seeking alternatives to government schools. In this study, Low-Fee Private Schools are defined as schools that either charge monthly tuition fees affordable to daily-wage-earning households (typically between ₹400 and ₹3,500) or have a per-pupil expenditure (PPE) lower than that of government schools.
Karnataka’s private schooling landscape is marked by increasing parental preference, with the state now home to over 25,000 private schools. According to the UDISE report, in the 2024-25 academic year, private unaided schools reported an enrollment of 5.66 million students, surpassing that of government schools. Private-recognised unaided schools constitute 26 percent of the schools in Karnataka but enrol 48 percent of the student population. In contrast, government schools constitute 65 percent of the total schools and employ only 40 percent of the students.
Despite their growing significance in Karnataka’s education system, Low-Fee Private Schools face multiple challenges that limit their ability to deliver quality education. Regulatory requirements, administrative burdens, and rigid infrastructure norms often divert school resources away from teaching and learning. This policy brief examines these challenges, maps the regulatory landscape, and proposes reforms aimed at creating evidence- and outcome-focused frameworks that empower Low-Fee Private Schools to improve access, equity, and learning outcomes for students.
