Congress MP Rajani Ashokrao Patil on Tuesday flagged the rising cost of education in metro cities and the deteriorating conditions of government schools, and demanded enforcement of the EWS provision under the Right to Education Act to make education more inclusive.

Education is a fundamental right, yet it is becoming increasingly inaccessible, she said in the Rajya Sabha. Referring to recent surveys, she said parents spent an average of `40,000 to `2 lakh annually for lower kindergarten (LKG) and nursery education, with the costs rising further.

After-school education such as tuition also puts an immense financial burden on middle and lower-middle classes, making quality education a privilege rather than a right, the Congress MP said. She highlighted that government schools were meant to provide affordable education but were failing in their purpose, with the annual status of education report showing a decline in enrolment in recent years.

“This shows that parents, even struggling financially, prefer private schools over government institutions due to poor infrastructure, lack of trained teachers and inadequate resources,” Patil said. Instead of being a centre of learning, many government schools are struggling with basic facilities, clean drinking water, functional classrooms and digital tools, forcing parents to make a difficult choice to either pay exorbitant fees or risk their child’s future in an under-funded government school, the Congress leader claimed.

To bridge this gap, Patil said the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government introduced the Right to Education Act in 2009, mandating 25 per cent reservation for children from economically weaker sections (EWS) and disadvantaged groups in private schools. She claimed that the law ensured that underprivileged children had access to quality education alongside students from higher-income backgrounds. However, in many states, its implementation has become weak due to poor monitoring and lack of awareness among parents, Patil alleged.

“Schools often resist admitting EWS students and financial reimbursement from the government is delayed. Strengthening the enforcement of this provision is crucial in making education more inclusive and reducing inequality,” she added.