As we exit the month of March and enter April marking the beginning of FY27 and the start of school for summers around the country, the rising cost of education for primary school programs in private schools has once again come under the microscope.
In a country where education is often hailed as the best investment, a viral LinkedIn post is making parents wonder if they should just skip the traditional school setting and homeschool their kids to save money for retirement funds.
The conversation was ignited by Pooja Setia, an HR professional and founder of The People Studio, who shared a screenshot of her child’s nursery fee structure for the 2026-2027 academic year.
The figures were enough to send shockwaves through social media. The educational portal showed a quarterly fee of INR 1,24,780, bringing the annual cost for a single year of nursery to nearly Rs 5 lakh.
“This screenshot is NOT a joke!” Setia wrote, adding that she is contemplating homeschooling and investing the amount in a Systematic Investment Plan (SIP) instead. “At least that way, I’ll be sure he graduates with a solid corpus, even if his handwriting is questionable,” she quipped.
Internet reacts: ‘We covered our whole schooling in this cost’
The post quickly became a lightning rod for discussions on the soaring cost of private education in India. The comments section mirrored the collective shock of a generation that remembers covering their entire high school education for the cost that Pooja Setia has been asked to pay for one year of Nursery education.
One of the most liked responses came from Gaurav Mehta, who highlighted the stark contrast in education costs over the decades.
“In this one quarter’s fee, I completed my entire graduation and post-graduation and was still left with money to pursue an HTML course,” Mehta commented.
Setia echoed this sentiment, noting that the amount for just three months of nursery was equivalent to what her and her brother spent on their entire schooling combined.
Some users even responded to Puja’s concerns with a quip suggesting her to start her own Nursery with slightly lesser prices, an option they postulate would solve both her concerns as it provides an education for her child along with an extra stream of income that could spruce up a retirement fund.
‘Financial logic’ debate
While many users reacted with quips, some netizens noted that the debate is not just about nostalgia; it’s about financial logic.
A social media user by the name of Rohit Chauhan explained that if one were to invest ₹41,600 per month (the monthly breakdown of the quarterly fee) in a diversified equity fund yielding an average of 12% annually for the 15 years a child spends in school (Nursery to Class 12), the resulting corpus would be approximately ₹2.08 crore.
While the post was shared with a touch of humor, it underscores a growing anxiety among middle-class parents.
Disclaimer: The content in this article is based on a viral social media discussion and is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. The financial figures and strategies mentioned are personal to the user and have not been independently verified. This story does not constitute financial advice or an endorsement of any specific investment strategy. Readers are advised to consult a SEBI-registered investment advisor before making financial decisions.