By Ikkz Ikbal

Education comes with a price tag in today's Kashmir.

The“best” schools advertise opportunity and excellence, but their gates open only for those who can afford the fees.

Talent spreads across the valley, but opportunity concentrates in a few polished campuses.

Children step out of sleek SUVs, carrying brand-new bags, striding confidently into classrooms that gleam with smartboards and air-conditioning.

A few streets away, children share a single textbook, dreaming far beyond what their circumstances allow.

Ability is never the barrier. Money is.

Fees in reputed schools often exceed ₹70,000 to ₹1,20,000 per year per child. Add uniforms, transport, books, and surprise charges, and the total becomes an unscalable mountain for families who earn through orchards, small shops, or labour.

Admission desks feel like billing counters. Words like“development charges” and“annual activity fund” turn hope into a transaction.

Statistics show 38 percent of poor children in India drop out before Class 8. Numbers carry no tears. Fathers leave school offices with forced smiles, hiding the sting of humiliation. Mothers fold fee lists into tiny squares, tucking them deep in purses. Children whisper to themselves,“Maybe I'm not good enough,” because their homes cannot buy the right uniform or cover the fees.

Some children start with tutors, tablets, and extracurricular exposure. Others rely on outdated books and little guidance.

All are expected to compete in the same examination hall.

When schools select children polished by privilege, they purchase success instead of nurturing talent.

The impact extends far beyond individual families. Every child denied admission because of poverty is a loss to the valley. A shepherd's child could become a doctor, teacher, scientist, or writer.

Children who grow up in hardship develop discipline, creativity, and resilience that money cannot buy. Their potential cannot thrive under locked gates and high fees.

Education should not be an exclusive right. A child's brilliance does not depend on marble floors, brand-name bags, or air-conditioned classrooms.

Children need opportunity, guidance, and a system that believes in them.

Reputed schools must widen their doors, offer need-based scholarships, and simplify fee structures. Economically weaker families must have access without the burden of begging or humiliation.

Government bodies should monitor fee hikes, and communities should come together to sponsor children.

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