Policy Briefs
Equity, Access, and Quality: Leveraging the Potential of Low-Fee Schools in Karnataka’s School Education System
December 29, 2025
Unlocking Learning Potential: The Role of Low-Fee Private Schools in Andhra Pradesh
December 29, 2025Leveraging the Role and Potential of Low-Fee Private Schools in Kerala’s School Education System
Kerala’s long‑standing literacy campaign, with its emphasis on education as a social right, has produced a nearly universal schooling environment. Kerala’s schooling landscape departs from national patterns, with government-aided institutions enrolling over 43% of students (UDISE+ 2021–22), whereas in many other states, unaided schools constitute a substantially larger share than aided ones. Private recognised (unaided) schools constitute 17 per cent of schools and account for roughly 27 per cent of enrolment.
Despite their modest share, unaided schools have expanded over the last two decades, signalling a gradual shift in parental preferences towards English-medium, nationally affiliated (CBSE and ICSE) schools. While the enrolment share of government and aided schools has declined recently, private unaided schools have maintained a stable presence despite falling birth rates and a shrinking school-age population (UDISE+; Kerala Economic Review). Contrary to the perception that these schools primarily serve elite households, evidence indicates that a substantial proportion are Low-Fee Private Schools (LFPS) that cater to lower- and lower-middle-income families. Low-Fee Private Schools are privately managed, unaided institutions that provide an affordable alternative to government schools, with monthly tuition fees ranging from ₹400 to ₹3,500.
Data from the Comprehensive Modular Survey (2025) indicate that the average annual household expenditure on private unaided schooling in Kerala is ₹16,518 (₹1,377 per month), the lowest among South Indian states, suggesting that most Low-Fee Private Schools charge fees accessible to daily wage-earning households.
This policy brief focuses on Low-Fee Private Schools in Kerala, examining their growth dynamics, regulatory constraints, and strategies for navigating recognition norms, fee regulations, and quality expectations. It also recommends policy interventions to strengthen Low-Fee Private Schools in improving learning outcomes and equity, such as establishing an independent body to assess school quality with a focus on learning, easing overly prescriptive regulations, extending the validity of temporary recognition, rationalising NOC timelines, and implementing single-window clearances.
