Punjab launches massive crackdown on unregistered schools, mandates building safety checks

Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat warns of zero tolerance as authorities issue 744 notices in a single day, carrying fines up to Rs.4 million.

The Punjab Education Department has initiated a large-scale enforcement campaign against unregistered private schools and tuition academies across the province. On the strict directives of Punjab Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat, the District Education Authority (DEA) launched an aggressive operation, serving formal warning notices to 744 non-compliant educational institutions in a single day. The provincial executive has given all unregistered owners a final three-day ultimatum to legalise their operations or face immediate closure.

The regulatory crackdown is being executed under the statutory powers of the Punjab Private Educational Institutions Ordinance 1984, which makes state registration mandatory for every private scholastic establishment. Under the revised punitive guidelines, operating an educational facility without lawful registration constitutes a severe criminal offence. The minister revealed that administrative penalties for running an illegal institution have been significantly increased, with fines ranging from Rs300,000 to a maximum of Rs4 million depending on the scale of the violation.

Beyond administrative compliance, the provincial government has prioritised student security by making a “Building Fitness Certificate” strictly mandatory for all private school structures. The minister categorised student safety as an absolute prerequisite, stating that no institution will be permitted to impart education until its physical premises are verified as structurally sound by engineering experts.

Deputy District Education Authorities have been mobilised across all tehsils to oversee implementation and ensure that non-compliant institutions are sealed upon the expiry of the three-day deadline. All field officers have been instructed to compile daily operational reports for the central ministry to guarantee complete eradication of ghost and unregulated educational networks.