MLA from Fatehgarh Sahib Constituency, S. Lakhbir Singh Rai, said that the Punjab Government, under the leadership of Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann, considers education not as a business but as the right of every child. Acting on this principle, the Punjab Government has imposed strict curbs on arbitrary fee hikes by private schools.
No private school in the state will now be allowed to increase its fees by more than 5 per cent without complying with the prescribed rules and regulations. MLA Rai informed that the "Punjab Un-aided Educational Institutions Fee Regulation (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026" has received the approval of the Governor.
With the implementation of this ordinance, lakhs of parents across the state will receive significant relief, and arbitrary increases in school fees by private institutions will be effectively checked. He said that for several years, parents had been under financial pressure due to the continuously rising fees charged by private schools.
The annual arbitrary increase in fees had made it difficult for ordinary and middle-class families to bear the cost of their children's education. Taking this genuine concern of the people seriously, the Punjab Government has taken this historic decision.
MLA Rai said that this legislation will further strengthen transparency and accountability in the education sector. Schools will no longer be able to increase fees at their own discretion, and every decision regarding fee revision will have to be made within the framework of the prescribed rules.
This will safeguard the rights of parents and prevent unnecessary financial burden on children's education. He further said that the government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann is giving the highest priority to education, healthcare and public welfare.
The objective of the government is to ensure quality education for children from all sections of society and to eliminate any kind of arbitrariness in the education sector. MLA Rai stated that since assuming office, the government has introduced several historic reforms in the education sector.
The infrastructure of government schools has been strengthened, Schools of Eminence have been established, and now, by bringing private school fees under a regulatory framework, relief has been provided to lakhs of families. He added that the Punjab Government remains committed to fulfilling every promise made to the people and that more such decisions in the public interest will continue to be taken in the future.
He said that this ordinance will prove to be a milestone in the field of education and will safeguard the interests of lakhs of students and parents across the state.