Entrepreneur Highlights How Wealth Gaps At School Can Affect Children

Choosing a school for a child is often seen as a decision about education, facilities and reputation. But an entrepreneur has raised another concern for parents: the financial gap children may notice when they study alongside wealthier classmates. Jasveer Singh, co-founder and CEO of Knot Dating, warned parents against stretching their finances to send their children to expensive schools if they cannot comfortably afford the lifestyle around them.

He wrote, "Don't stretch your finances just to put your child into the most expensive school you can possibly afford. The right school is not necessarily the richest school."

"You don't need to become poorer to feel poor; you only need to change your comparison group. A great school means nothing if your child feels poor every single day. Parents compare schools. Kids compare themselves with other kids. That's the part parents completely miss," Singh added.

He explained that parents and children may remember the same childhood differently. Parents may feel they gave their child more than they could afford, while the child may feel they received less than their classmates.

Check Out The Post Here:

Indian parents, don't send your kids to a rich school if you're not rich.

Don't stretch your finances just to put your child into the most expensive school you can possibly afford. The right school is not necessarily the richest school.

You don't need to become poorer to feel…

— Jasveer Singh (@jasveer10) September 17, 2026

Singh gave the example of a child being picked up in a Maruti while classmates arrive in BMWs. He said the child may ask their father not to bring the car to the school gate and instead park farther away.

According to Singh, children may start feeling embarrassed about things they had never considered shameful before. They may compare lunch boxes, shoes, birthday parties, pocket money, school trips, bags, phones and after-school activities.

He said children may avoid directly telling their parents that they cannot afford certain experiences. Instead, they might say they do not want to attend a birthday party, visit a restaurant or take part in an activity.

Singh wrote, "Children don't compare only expensive things. They compare tiny visible signals every day: lunch box, shoes, birthday parties, pocket money, school trips, bags, phones, after-school activities. Your child doesn't necessarily say - My parents can't afford this, He says I don't want to go. I don't like that restaurant, or I already ate. I don't want to come to the birthday party."

Singh said this hiding can turn into excuses, making a child feel inferior. Parents may see such withdrawal as introversion, while it could be a way of avoiding situations they cannot afford.

He also cautioned against confusing the ability to pay school fees with being able to comfortably manage the wider expenses linked to a wealthy school environment.

Singh said, "Education is not about school fees or fancy infrastructure. It's about building confidence, exploring yourself and uplifting yourself."

Social Media Reaction

His post received reactions from social media users, with several agreeing that the financial and emotional pressures linked to school environments deserve more attention.

One user commented, "Very sharp observation."

Another user noted, "That's not always true."

"The inferiority complex developed in those schools is real," added a third user.