Hyderabad: Over 400 private schools down in last 3 years; management blames rise of corporate and government schools

As per the information shared by the State government, the number of private schools has come down from 11,238 in 2021-22 to 10,832 in 2023-24.

Hyderabad: Once lifeline for families, particularly for middle and upper middle classes, seeking affordable education, the private budget schools are now facing a tough time.

Over 400 private budget schools have shut their doors in the last three academic years. These schools are becoming casualties of mushrooming corporate education besides a large number of welfare residential schools set up by the State government in the last decade.

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As per the information shared by the State government, the number of private schools has come down from 11,238 in 2021-22 to 10,832 in 2023-24. In just three years, 406 schools have shut down.

Data reveals reduction of private schools across all levels but the drop being significant at the upper primary level with 209 schools. Most of these schools were located in mandal and rural areas.

Private budget schools cite expansion of corporate schools even in the rural areas of the State as among the primary factors. These corporate schools equipped with better facilities, staying contemporary and boasting resource, have been drawing students by deploying their teachers for admission campaign. This competition left many budget schools struggling to maintain their enrollment numbers and financial viability.

Some private budget schools that were shut down or on the verge of closure were acquired by the corporate schools’ management as part of their expansion, managements said.

“Corporate schools have expanded their presences even in the rural areas in a big way in the last couple of years. The government even permitted schools which did not have proper documents. These schools have been employing a PRO system for enrolling students. Moreover parents as a prestige join their wards in corporate schools,” said K Papi Reddy, president, Telangana Recognised School Managements Association.

TRSMA working president Shivaratri Yadagiri attributed the falling admissions to failure of private budget schools in evolving to the needs of the day. “Most private budget schools that were closed were in the rural areas but not in the city,” he said.

Claiming that 1,000 private schools closed, chief advisor to TRSMA, Yadagiri Shekhar Rao said financial viability, school correspondent’s age and health were also reasons for closure. “Getting an own building to run the school has also become an issue for the management,” he said.