Education boards in Punjab have imposed a major fee hike on students appearing for the board examinations which has received wide spread criticism.
The increase, which is described as a massive “fee bomb,” comes as boards struggle to deal with a serious financial crisis.
Students will now have to bear a new charge for installation of CCTV cameras in exam centres, and an additional Rs900 under a new miscellaneous fee.
Certificate fee has also increased from Rs550 to Rs1000. On the whole, private candidates appearing for FA/FSc annual examinations will have to pay Rs7,730, while the regular students will pay Rs7,570.
All Pakistan Private Schools Associations have vehemently objected the hike. Officials estimate that the education boards of Punjab may earn a new generation of up to Rs15 billion through such new fees.
Millions of students face exams conducted annually by the province’s nine boards, 1.8 million to 2 million every year.
Including matriculation and intermediate exams this number is more than 3.5 million. Boards hold two examinations a year of which around 50 per cent of students take supplementary examinations.
For the Intermediate annual examinations from May 20, 2026 revised fees will be: Admission fee is Rs1000, Registration fee Rs1000, Processing fee Rs1000, Certificate fee Rs1000, Miscellaneous Fee Rs900, CCTV Charge Rs30, Development charges Rs350, Scholarship RS250, and Postal Charges Rs300
Admission charges are not uniform for all, they are different for regular students (arts), regular students (science), private students (arts), and private students (science).
Education officials and private school associations have criticised the increase in fees as unfair. They suggest that the CCTVs are a shared responsibility of the board and therefore costs should not be passed on to any student.
The Rs900 miscellaneous charges and increase in certificates and processing fee was also criticised as excessive. Parents had warned that the hike may lead economically weaker families to withdraw their daughters from matriculation and intermediaries.
