A Punjab Assembly standing committee has directed all private schools across the province to implement the mandatory 10 percent free education quota within the next 10 days, warning that institutions failing to comply could face strict action.
The committee reviewed the issue of private schools not fully implementing the legal requirement that reserves free education for a fixed percentage of enrolled students. Members expressed concern over continued non-compliance and stressed the need for immediate enforcement.
During the meeting, one committee member suggested that authorities should not rely solely on records submitted by private schools. Instead, the member proposed that deserving children should be directly enrolled in private schools by the relevant authorities to ensure greater transparency and make compliance easier to verify.
The committee chairman instructed all private schools to fulfil the legal requirement within the specified deadline. He warned that schools failing to provide free education to 10 percent of their enrolled students could face cancellation of their licences if they do not comply.
Officials also discussed improving monitoring mechanisms to ensure that eligible children benefit from the policy. The committee emphasised that stronger oversight would help prevent schools from avoiding their legal obligations.
The Secretary for School Education informed the committee that the department would begin collecting data from all private schools regarding the implementation of the free education quota. The information will be used to assess compliance and identify institutions that have failed to meet the requirement.
The 10 percent free education quota is intended to increase access to quality education for children from underprivileged families by requiring private schools to reserve seats without charging tuition fees. Authorities expect the latest directive to improve enforcement of the law across Punjab.
The committee said it will continue monitoring the implementation process and review the progress after the 10-day deadline before deciding on any further action against non-compliant schools.
