The Punjab government has unveiled a regulatory framework to address arbitrary fee increases by private schools, limiting annual hikes to five percent. The new law also mandates refunds for excess fees collected over the past three years and imposes penalties, including potential school recognition cancellation. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann described this legislation as the toughest in the country against such fee hikes.
This regulatory framework extends the five percent cap not only to tuition fees but also to all mandatory charges and funds collected by schools. It aims to prevent schools from imposing additional financial burdens on parents. The Chief Minister highlighted that previous amendments had enabled unchecked fee hikes, leading to exploitation of parents.
Under the new law, private unaided schools in Punjab will face stricter regulations on fee hikes. Schools that raised fees by more than 15 percent in the past three years will be subject to severe actions. The government intends to enforce a five percent annual fee increase limit to ensure accountability and prevent excessive financial pressure on parents.
Chief Minister Mann criticized the 2019 amendment that diluted the fee hike restrictions, allowing schools to surpass prescribed limits through a disclosure mechanism. Despite transparency requirements, the implementation of fee increase disclosures was lacking, leading to unjustified financial burdens on parents. The upcoming legislation aims to restore transparency and fairness in fee structures.
