Punjab Boards Declare a Significant Rise in the Annual Examination Cost
Parents strongly objected to the education boards’ large fee increases for pupils taking the 9th and 10th (matriculation) yearly exams in March 2025, which were implemented under a dire financial crisis. The boards have also established a new student development fund.
The pricing schedule for the 2025 exams, which includes a new Rs350 development fund, a Rs870 processing charge, and a Rs1,000 certificate cost, has been released by the Boards Committee. Therefore, instead of paying Rs2,700 to appear for the matriculation exam, each student will now pay a total of Rs4,380.
The government has proposed eliminating Punjab’s nine education boards in favour of a single provincial board due to their financial difficulties. Additionally, efforts are being made to resolve legal issues that prompted the boards’ staff to demonstrate.
The following split of admission fees has been established for both private and ordinary students: Rs 1,800 for admission, Rs 870 for processing, Rs 280 for sports, Rs 80 for scholarship fees, Rs 350 for development fund, and Rs 1,000 for certificate fees. Between November 2 and 27, single fees can be submitted; between November 28 and December 11, double fees can be submitted; and between December 12 and 24, triple fees can be submitted.
The president of the All Pakistan Private Schools and Colleges Association (APPS&CA), Irfan Muzaffar Kayani, denounced the fee hike as a hardship for low-income families and called for a 40–50% cut.
The fee increase has been fiercely opposed by parents. One such parent, Haji Shafiullah, advocated for free education up to the matriculation level and requested that the increase be immediately revoked.
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