Punjab Private Schools Raise Fees Ahead of Summer Vacation

Private schools in Punjab have raised their tuition fees right before the summer vacation, even though there is a court order that stops them from doing this. This problem was discussed in the Punjab Assembly, where the lawmakers showed concern because many schools are not following the legal rules about fees.

Member of Provincial Assembly (MPA) Ahmad Rasheed Bhatti brought up this issue during a session. He said that many schools have increased fees by around Rs. 7,000 to Rs. 8,000 per student. This means some schools raised the fees by as much as 26%. What makes this worse is that the students will not return to school for another three months during the summer break, so it feels unfair to parents.

Bhatti reminded everyone in the assembly that the Lahore High Court had already made a clear decision about this. According to the court’s ruling, schools should only charge half of the normal monthly fee during the summer holidays when there are no classes. However, many schools are ignoring this rule and charging full or even higher fees. Bhatti said, “The court’s decision is being openly violated by these schools.”

The Speaker of the Punjab Assembly, Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan, called this fee hike “an act of cruelty” against the students’ families. He told the Education Minister to take strong action against the schools that are increasing fees illegally. The Education Minister assured the assembly members that the government would start investigating the matter immediately and would make sure that schools follow the law.

Last year, the Directorate of Private Institutions had also warned private schools about illegal extra charges. They issued a notice saying that any fees other than the admission fee and monthly tuition fee are not allowed. The notice also warned schools not to force parents to buy special notebooks or stationery that carry the school’s name or logo, as this puts extra financial pressure on families.

Now, this whole issue has been sent to the Standing Committee on Schools for a detailed review. The committee will look into the matter closely and suggest what actions should be taken to stop these illegal fee increases. Parents and lawmakers hope that this step will help protect families from unfair charges in the future.

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