Education boards drop 'fee bomb'

To cope with a severe financial crisis, education boards have imposed what has been described as a massive "fee bomb" on students appearing in board examinations.

A new charge for the installation of CCTV cameras at examination centres has also been levied on students, along with an additional Rs900 under a newly introduced miscellaneous fee.

The certificate fee, previously Rs550, has been increased to Rs1,000. As a result of new fees and taxes, private candidates appearing in FA/FSc annual examinations will now pay a total of Rs7,730, while regular students will pay Rs7,570.

All Pakistan Private Schools Associations have outright rejected the fee hike. Officials estimate that Punjab's education boards will generate up to Rs15 billion through the increased fees. Each year, between 1.8 to 2 million students appear in examinations conducted by Punjab's nine education boards. When both matriculation and intermediate students are counted, the figure exceeds 3.5 million. Boards conduct two examinations annually — annual and supplementary — with around 50 percent participation in supplementary exams as well.

For intermediate annual examinations starting May 20, 2026, the revised fees include: admission fee Rs1,000, registration fee Rs1,000, processing fee Rs1,000, certificate fee Rs1,000, new miscellaneous fee Rs900, CCTV installation fee Rs30, development charges Rs350, scholarship fee Rs250, and postal charges Rs300.

Intermediate admission fees have been set at Rs1,700 for regular arts students, Rs1,740 for regular science students, Rs1,800 for private arts students, and Rs1,900 for private science students.

All Pakistan Private Schools Management Association President Abrar Ahmed Khan, All Pakistan Private Schools and Colleges Association President Irfan Muzaffar Kiani, and All Pakistan Private Schools Association (Registered) President Malik Naseem Ahmed strongly condemned the increase, stating that CCTV cameras are installed in examination halls, so students should not be burdened with the cost.

They termed the Rs900 miscellaneous fee unjust and called the increase in certificate and processing fees excessive.

Parents have also rejected the new fee structure, warning that poor families may be forced to withdraw their daughters from matriculation and intermediate examinations.