The Punjab School Education Department and the All Pakistan Private Schools Management Association (APPSMA) have agreed on a comprehensive package of reforms aimed at improving academic management, school registration, utility tariffs, and regulatory procedures for private schools across the province.
The proposed reforms include introducing a uniform academic calendar, increasing annual teaching days, extending the validity of school registrations, and shifting private educational institutions from commercial to domestic utility tariff categories.
According to officials, the School Education Department will prepare draft legislation for the agreed reforms in consultation with relevant stakeholders. The government plans to implement the new measures from the next academic year.
The proposals were finalised during the fifth meeting of a committee formed under the directions of the Lahore High Court (LHC) to develop a uniform academic calendar for educational institutions throughout Punjab.
Under the proposed framework, schools will observe a minimum of 190 and a maximum of 227 teaching days each year. Officials said the move is intended to improve curriculum delivery, reduce learning losses caused by extended vacations, and ensure greater consistency between public and private schools.
The committee also approved a proposal to reclassify private schools from commercial to domestic utility tariff categories for electricity, gas, and other services. Representatives of private schools argued that educational institutions should not be charged commercial utility rates.
In addition, the committee agreed to amend the Punjab Private Educational Institutions (Promotion and Regulation) Act to support the growth and expansion of private schools while maintaining effective regulatory oversight.
Other proposed reforms include extending the validity of school registrations from the current period to four years, facilitating the registration of unregistered private schools, revising registration fees, and simplifying the process of obtaining building fitness certificates.
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