Bengaluru: Thousands of parents who pay school fees in Karnataka are unknowingly carrying part of the government’s bill to implement the Right to Education (RTE) Act.In a fresh attack on the government, Karnataka Associated Management of Schools (KAMS) has alleged that the state’s failure to review per child expenditure (PCE) and clear long-pending refund fees has forced unaided private schools to subsidize RTE admissions by recovering the shortfall from fee-paying students, putting schools and families under financial pressure.In a detailed statement submitted to Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, the association said the government’s continued reliance on reimbursement rates fixed almost a decade ago has pushed thousands of recognized private schools into financial difficulties. D Shashi Kumar, general secretary of KAMS, alleged that while the state’s expenditure on school education has more than doubled (from around Rs 20,000 crore to over Rs 45,000 crore), reimbursement to private schools is still based on outdated rates of just Rs 8,000 to Rs 16,000 per child.“With each passing year, the gap between the actual cost of educating an RTE student and the reimbursement paid by the government widens. Schools must cover this shortfall on their own,” Kumar said.Explaining the impact, he added: “For every child admitted under the RTE fee, schools spend several times more than what the government reimburses. That shortfall does not simply disappear; it is ultimately borne by the schools and, inevitably, by the parents of the remaining 75% of fee-paying students. Ironically, it is the private schools that are accused of overcharging parents.”KAMS officials said affordable private schools, which primarily serve low- and middle-income families, have been hardest hit. With reimbursements falling far short of actual costs and fees for the last two academic years still unpaid, many schools are struggling to pay staff salaries, maintain infrastructure and invest in improving classrooms.Claims “underestimated” government spendingThe association alleged that the government significantly underestimated the per-child expenditure by considering only five items of expenditure and excluding more than 50 recurring components prescribed in the RTE Act and the Karnataka RTE Rules. Based on its analysis of Karnataka budget documents, financial accounts, accountant general reports and other official records, KAMS estimated that the actual PCE for the 2026-27 academic year should be between Rs 40,000 and Rs 60,000 per child, several times more than the currently reported reimbursement.He also alleged that Rs 7 million was recovered from schools following audit objections arising from what he described as a misinterpretation of legal provisions governing the PCE.Terming the situation “financially unsustainable”, the association urged the state government to immediately review and notify the PCE for 2026-27 in accordance with the statutory formula, disclose the methodology used to calculate the expenditure, clear all pending reimbursement dues and ensure greater transparency in the implementation of the RTE reimbursement mechanism.