Private schools across Punjab have been given a 10-day deadline to comply with a long-standing law requiring them to provide free education to 10 percent of their students, or risk losing their operating licenses.
The directive was issued by the Punjab Assembly Standing Committee on School Education, which met to review the state of implementation of the quota across the province. Members of the committee were informed that although the law has been in place for years, private schools have largely failed to comply, with many either underreporting enrolment figures or ignoring the requirement altogether.
Committee members criticised the education department for relying entirely on data submitted by private schools themselves, arguing that this approach had allowed institutions to misreport compliance without scrutiny.
They called for a shift in strategy, proposing that the department take direct responsibility for identifying and enrolling eligible children in private schools rather than depending on self-reported figures.
To close this gap, the committee recommended that an independent verification mechanism be introduced, allowing the department to confirm on the ground whether schools are actually admitting the required number of underprivileged students.
Responding to the concerns raised, the Secretary of School Education told the committee that the department would begin compiling comprehensive data on all private schools operating in Punjab. The exercise, he said, is intended to give authorities a clear picture of compliance levels and to strengthen enforcement of the law going forward.
The committee has warned that any school found violating the 10 percent quota after the 10-day deadline will have its license revoked, signalling a tougher stance after years of weak enforcement.
