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THE WORKERS’ CHILDREN (EDUCATION) ORDINANCE, 1972  
 
 
 
 
CONTENTS 
 
1.  Short title, extent and commencement.  
 
2.  Definitions. 
 
3.  Levy of education  cess. 
 
4.  Education of Workers Children 
 
5.  Manner of levying cess.  
 
5A. Collection and administration of cess.  
 
6.  Power to make rules.  
 
 
 

 
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1THE WORKERS' CHILDREN (EDUCATION) ORDINANCE, 1972.  
 
 ORDINANCE NO. XI OF 1972 
[13th April, 1972] 
An Ordinance to provide for the education of workers' children and matters ancillary  
 thereto. 
 WHEREAS it is expedient to provide for the education of workers' children and for matters 
ancillary thereto; 
 
 AND WHEREAS the national interest of Pakistan in relation to the economic and financial 
stability of Pakistan and the achievement of uniformity requires Central legislation in the matter;   
 NOW, THEREFORE, in pursuance of the Proclamation of the 25 th day of March, 1969, read 
with the Proclamation of the 20th day of December, 1971, and the Provisional Constitution Order, 
and in exercise of all powers enabling him in that behalf, the President is pleased to make and 
promulgate the following Ordinance :— 
 1. Short title, extent and commencement. —(1) This Ordinance may be called the 
Workers' Children (Education) Ordinance, 1972. 
 (2) It extends to the whole of Pakistan. 
 (3) It shall come into force at once. 
 2. Definitions. In this Ordinance, unless there is anything repugnant in the subject or context,— 
(a)  “employer”, in relation to an establishment, means the person who has  
ultimate control over the affairs of the establishment; 
2[(b)  “establishment” means any office, firm, industrial unit, undertaking, shop or 
premises in which workers are  employed for the  purpose of carrying on 
any business, trade, manufacture, calling, service, employment or 
occupation;] 
(c)  “worker” means any person employed, whether directly or through any other 
person, in any establishment to do any skilled or unskilled, manual or clerical  
work for hire or  reward whose monthly wages do not exceed 3[4[three 
thousand] rupees] but does not include— 
(i)  Persons in the service of the State including members of the Armed 
Forces, Police Force and Railway servants; 
(ii)  Persons employed in any undertaking under the control of any Defence 
organisation or Railway administration; 
 
 
1The Ordinance has been applied to the Provincially Administered T ribal Areas or to the parts of those areas to which it does  not already apply ,  
see Regulation No.1 of 1972, s.2 and Sch., 
2 Subs. by the Workers, Children (Education) (Amdt.) Act, 1973 (24 of 1973), s. 2, for clause (b). 
3 Subs. and ins. by the Workers Children (Education) (Amdt.) Act, 1985 (16 of 1985). s.2and Sch., 
4 Subs. by the Labour Laws (Amdt.) Act 1994, (11 of 1994) s.. 7 and Sch., IV for “one thousand five hundred”. 
 
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(iii) Persons in the service of a local council, a municipal committee, a 
cantonment board or any other local authority 1[:] 
 2[Provided that a worker shall not cease to be a worker for the reason that his monthly 
wages exceed three thousand rupees or the number of persons employed in the establishment, at any 
time, is reduced to less than ten.] 
 3[3. Levy of education  cess.___(1) Every employer of an establishment in which the 
number of workers employed at any time during a year is 4[ten] or more shall pay to the Provincial 
Government an education cess at the rate of one hundred rupees per worker per annum.  
 (2) Every employer shall, within every three months beginning from the first day of the 
calendar month following the commencement of the Workers' Children (Amendment) Act, 1973, 
prepare and deliver, or cause to be prepared and delivered, in the form and to the officer 
prescribed by the  Provincial Government, a return showing the number of workers employed in  
the establishment during the preceding quarter and shall subscribe a declaration of the truth of the 
return at the foot thereof. 
 (3) The levy of education cess shall be on the basis of the number of workers shown in the 
return referred to in sub­section (2).  
 4. Education of Workers’ Children . The Provincial Government shall provide education 
free of cost up to Matric 5[any level of education to two children] to one child of every worker 
employed in an establishment referred to in section 3. 
 Explanation.—Education  free  of  cost'  includes provision of  text  books free  of  cost  and 
exemption from admission fee, tuition fee, examination fee and school fund. 
 5. Manner of levying cess.  The cess described in section 3 shall be levied so far as may be, 
in the same manner, and under the same provisions of law, as the land revenue 6[:] 
 7[Provided that the amount of the cess shall be held in a separate account and shall be 
expended only for the purposes of this Ordinance;] 
 8[5A. Collection and administration of cess . The collection of cess referred to in section 3 
and its administration may be entrusted to the Social Sec urity Institution or to such other agency as 
the Provincial Government may nominate.] 
 6. Power to make rules.  The Provincial Government may, by notification in the official 
Gazette, make rules for carrying out the purposes of this Act.]. 
1 Subs. ibid., s. 7 for “full stop”. 
2 Proviso added ibid., 
3 Subs. by Act 24 of 1973, s. 3. for sections 3, 4 and 5. 
4 Subs. and ins. by the W orkers Children (Education) (Amdt.) Act, 1985 (16 of 1985). s.2and Sch., 
5 Subs. by the Labour Laws (Amdt) Act 1994, (11 of 1994) s. 7 and Sch., IV for certain words, which was previously ins. by Act 16 of 1985, s. 2 and 
Sch.. 
6 Subs. by the Labour Laws (Amdt.) Act, .1975 (11 of 1975), s. 2 and Sch., for full stop. 
7 Proviso added ibid., 
8 New section 5A ins. by Act 11 of 1994, s. 7 and Sch., IV.