Punjab Has No System to Control Private School Fees

The Punjab School Education Department has admitted that there is no regulatory mechanism for determining the fees charged by private educational institutions across the province.

The revelation was made during a meeting of the Punjab Assembly Standing Committee on School Education, where department officials said they do not have the authority to set fees for private schools.

According to the department, the existing law only allows authorities to regulate annual fee increases. Private schools are not permitted to raise their fees by more than 4% to 5% in a year.

The chairman of the standing committee pointed out that the department had presented a different position during the previous meeting. In response, officials clarified that their powers were limited to controlling fee increases rather than deciding the original fee structure.

Committee members questioned why the department could not take stronger action against private schools despite having the authority to register them.

One member argued that schools could not be allowed to operate simply by placing a chair and a table at any location. The member said that if the department had the power to approve the opening of a school, it should also be able to ensure proper checks and balances.

The committee also raised concerns over the high fees charged by private schools, saying that some institutions collect amounts ranging from thousands to hundreds of thousands, making them unaffordable for children from low-income families.

A committee member demanded that the registrations of private schools violating the rules should be canceled.

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