PUNJAB FREE AND COMPULSORY EDUCATION ACT 2014

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THE PUNJAB FREE AND COMPULSORY EDUCATION ACT 
2014 
(XXVI of 2014) 
CONTENTS 
CHAPTER I 
PRELIMINARY 
1. Short title, extent and commencement 
2. Definitions 
CHAPTER II 
RIGHT TO FREE AND COMPULSORY EDUCATION 
3. Right to free and compulsory education 
4. Duty to provide education 
5. Special provisions for education 
6. Transfer to other school 
CHAPTER III 
DUTIES OF GOVERNMENT, LOCAL AUTHORITY AND PARENTS 
7. Sharing of financial and other responsibilities 
8. Establishment of schools 
9. Duty of parent 
10. Pre-school education 
11. Management of schools 
12. Taleem Fund 
CHAPTER IV 
RESPONSIBILITIES OF SCHOOLS AND TEACHERS 
13. Responsibility of private school for free education 
14. Capitation fee and screening procedure 
15. Proof of age for admission 
16. Admission, expulsion and corporal punishment 
17. Duties of teachers 
CHAPTER V 
PROTECTION OF RIGHT OF CHILDREN 
18. Monitoring of right to education 
CHAPTER VI 
MISCELLANEOUS 
19. Inspections and directions 
20. Residuary penalty and liability of corporations 
21. Prosecution and compounding of the offences 
22. Summary trial 
23. Protection of action taken in good faith 
24. Power to make rules 
25. Act to override other laws 
26. Repeal 
TEXT 
1
THE PUNJAB FREE AND COMPULSORY EDUCATION ACT 2014  
(XXVI of 2014) 
[10th November, 2014] 
An 
Act 
to provide for free and compulsory education to all children of the age of five to 
sixteen years. 
 Whereas Article 25A of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan enjoins 
that the State shall provide free and compulsory education to all children of the age of 
five to sixteen years and, for the purpose, it is expedient to make necessary provisions; 
 It is enacted as follows: 
CHAPTER I 
PRELIMINARY 
1. Short title, extent and commencement .– (1) This Act may be cited as the 
Punjab Free and Compulsory Education Act 2014. 
 (2) It shall extend to whole of the Punjab. 
2[(3) It shall come into force at once.] 
2. Definitions.– In this Act:  
(a) “child” means a child from the age of five to sixteen years; 
(b) “capitation fee” means any kind of donation or contribution or payment, 
by whatever name, other than the fee notified by the Government or the 
local authority; 
(c) “disadvantaged c hild” means a child who belongs to a socially and 
economically disadvantaged class, or to any  other group having 
disadvantage owing to social, or such other reasons or who belongs to 
such a parent whose annual income is l ess than the li mit which the 
Government may, by notification, specify; 
(d) “education” means teaching and training of mind and character by 
attendance in regular school education, madrassa education, vocational 
training and special e ducation in the class room and school setting, or 
non-formal education or the education prescribed for a child or category 
of children by the Government; 
(e) “free education” implies that the Government or a local authority  shall 
not charge any fee or expense for providing education and shall 
 
1This Act was passed by the Punjab Assembly on 27 October 2014; assented to by the Governor of the Punjab on 08 November 
2014; and, was published in the Punjab Gazette (Extraordinary), dated 10 November 2014, pages 1699-1705. 
2Substituted by the Punjab Free and Compulsory Education (Amendment) Act 2022 (XX II of 2022), published in the Punjab 
Gazette (Extraordinary), dated: 24 October 2022, pp.1429, s.2. 
 
endeavour to remove financial barriers that may prevent a child from 
completing ten years’ education; 
(f) “Government” means Government of the Punjab; 
(g) “local authority” means a local government, an autonomous or semi -
autonomous body or authority of the Government, a public sector 
organization or body having administrative control over a school or 
empowered by or under any law to function as a local authority; 
(h) “parent” includes a person having the care and custody of a child or a 
guardian appointed by a court; 
(i) “prescribed” means prescribed by rules; 
(j) “rules” means the rules made under the Act; 
(k) “school” means an educational institution imparting primary, elementary 
or secondary education to the children and includes:  
(i) a school owned or controlled by the Government or a local 
authority; 
(ii) a school receiving aid or grant to meet whole or part of its 
expenses from the Government, Federal Government or a local 
authority; 
(iii) a school not receiving any kind of aid or grant from the 
Government, Federal Government or a local authority; and 
(iv) a Deeni madrassa or any school providing religious education 
recognized by the Government; 
(l) “screening procedure” means the method of selection for admission of a 
child at nursery level or any other initial level, in relation to another child 
other than a random method; and 
(m) “vocational education” includes the training of skills to prepare trainees 
for jobs and careers at various levels from trade to a craft. 
CHAPTER II 
RIGHT TO FREE AND COMPULSORY EDUCATION 
3. Right to free and compulsory e ducation.– (1) Every child shall have a right 
to free and com pulsory education from class one to ten , non-formal education, 
vocational education or a combination of all or any of the two  as notified by the 
Government considering the needs, capability and age of the child so as to ensure 
completion of education or specified education in a school in the neighborhood or the 
school allocated for the child. 
 (2) The Government shall prescribe academic calendar for class one to 
class ten and for non-formal education, vocational education and special education.  
 (3) For purposes of sub section (1), a child or parent shall not be liable to 
pay any kind of fee or charges or expenses for completing the education in a school 
mentioned in sub-clause (i) of clause (k) of section 2. 
 (4) The Government shall, in the prescribed manner, provide or cause to be 
provided suitable education to a child suffering from disability or a special child. 
4. Duty to provide education.– (1) The Government shall: 
(a) provide free and compulsory education to every child  in the 
neighborhood school or the school allocated for the child; 
(b) ensure good quality education conforming to the standards and norms 
of quality education; and  
(c) prepare an annual statement of the children admitted and retained in the 
educational institutions.  
(2) A local government shall: 
(a) maintain, in the prescribed manner, a record of children up to the age of 
sixteen years residing within its jurisdiction; and 
(b) ensure and monitor admission, attendance and completion of education 
by every child residing within its jurisdiction.   
5.  Special provisions for education.– If a child above five years of age has not 
been admitted in any school or after admission, could not complete education, the 
local government shall, in the prescribed manner, develop a mechanism to ensure 
admission of the child in a school according to age , previous class and other 
circumstances. 
6.  Transfer to other school .– (1) Where in a school, there is no provision for 
completion of the prescribed education, a child or a parent may opt for transfer of the  
child to any other school for completing his education. 
 (2)  Where a child is required to move from one area to another, for any 
reason, such child shall continue to have a right to complet e his education in such 
other area. 
 (3)  For purposes of admission in another school, the incharge of the school 
where the child was last admitted, shall immediately  issue the transfer certificate  or 
school leaving certificate. 
CHAPTER III 
DUTIES OF GOVERNMENT, LOCAL AUTHORITY AND PARENTS 
7.  Sharing of financial and other r esponsibilities.– (1) The Government  and 
local authority shall have concurrent responsibility for providing funds for carrying out 
the purposes of this Act.  
(2) The Government may approach the Federal Government to provide as 
grants-in-aid such percentage of expenditure for education as may be determined with 
mutual consultation.  
8. Establishment of schools.– (1) For carrying out the p urposes of this Act, a 
local authority shall make arrangements for  the requisite number of schools , within 
such area as may be prescribed. 
 (2) The Government shall devise a  scheme for using the schools in the 
evening hours for providing education to the children and for making arrangements for 
providing non-formal education to the children in other educational institutions.  
 (3) The Government and a local a uthority may encourage enterprises, 
institutions and other segments of civil society, by granting exemption or rebate in 
taxes and offering incentives  for those who  establish, maintain or run schools for 
provision of free and compulsory education to children.  
 (4) The Government and a local authority shall devise a system of grants-
in-aid to encourage admission of a child in a school and to support the school 
attendance of a disadvantaged child. 
9. Duty of parent.– (1) A parent shall admit or cause to be admitted the child for 
education in a school or, as the case may be, in the school allocated for the child. 
(2) The parent shall, except in the case of a reasonable excuse, cause the 
child to attend a school in the neighborhood or the allocated school until the said child 
has completed the education provided and contemplated for him. 
(3) If a parent fails to admit a nd keep the child in a school, he may not be 
entitled to any subsidy or poverty targeted support of the Government and the 
Government may recommend such a measure to the Federal Government or any 
other body providing such subsidy or support.   
Explanation.– Reasonable excuse for purpose s of this section shall incl ude any of 
the following cases: 
(a) where the school management body is satisfied that the child is 
incapable of attending school by reason of sickness or infirmity or that 
by reason of the child’s mental incapacity it is not desirable that the child 
should be compelled to attend a school or carry on his study further; or 
(b) where the child is receiving , otherwise than in a school , education or  
instructions which in the opinion of the school management body, is 
sufficient. 
10. Pre-school education.– The Government or the local authority may establish 
a kindergarten school or childcare centre in a local area or consolidate or merge such 
schools or centres for providing free pre-school education and early childhood care for 
the children above the age of three years until they join a school for education. 
11. Management of schools .– The Government or the local authority shall 
establish a school management body of a public school consisting of its 
representatives, teachers, parents of children admitted to the school and confer on it 
the prescribed powers in relation to the school. 
12.  Taleem Fund.– (1) The Government may permit a school management body 
to establish, in the prescribed manner, a Taleem Fund for the school. 
(2) All voluntary contributions from the philanthropists, alumni, students and 
parents shall be credited to the Taleem Fund, maintained at a scheduled Bank. 
(3) The Fund shall be utilized for the welfare of the students of the school in 
the prescribed manner. 
(4) All moneys from the Fund shall be withdrawn in the prescribed manner 
jointly by at least two members of the school management body.  
CHAPTER IV 
RESPONSIBILITIES OF SCHOOLS AND TEACHERS 
13. Responsibility of private school for free education .– For purposes of this 
Act, a private sector school: 
(a) specified in sub -clause (ii) of clause (k) of section 2, shall provide free 
education to such proportion of children admitted therein as its annual 
aid or grant so received bears to its annual recurring expenses; 
(b)  specified in sub-clauses (iii) and (iv) of clause (k) of section 2, shall admit 
in class one and then in every class, ten percent of the strength of that 
class, children, including disadvantaged children of the neighbourhood 
or other children as may be determined by the Government,  and shall 
provide free and compulsory education to such children  or, in the 
alternative, provide prescribed vouchers for education of disadvantaged 
children in any other school, as may be determined by the Government; 
(c) shall provide the information pertaining to the students admitted under 
clauses (a) and (b) to the Government, the local authority or any other 
prescribed authority; and 
(d) shall not require a parent  to purchase textbooks, uniform or other 
material from a particular vendor or provider and shall not  charge any 
amount other than tuition fee, admission fee or prescribed security in the 
name and style of building fund or under any other name or style. 
14.  Capitation fee and screening p rocedure.– (1) No school or person shall, 
while admitting a child in the school: 
(a) collect any capitation fee; or 
(b) in case of schools owned or controlled by the Government or a local 
authority, subject the child or his parent to any screening procedure. 
(2) Any school or person who, in contrav ention of the provisions of 
subsection (1),– 
(a)  receives capitation fee, shall be punishable with fine which may extend 
to  twenty times the capitation fee charged in the first instance and fifty 
thousand rupees for each subsequent instance of the contravention; or 
(b) subjects a child or parent to screening procedure, shall be punishable 
with fine which may extend to fifty thousand rupees in the first instance 
and one hundred thousand rupees for each subsequent instance of 
contravention. 
15. Proof of age for admission .– (1) For purposes of admission to a school, the 
age of a child shall be determined on the basis of the b irth certificate or such other 
document as may be prescribed but a child shall not be denied admission in a school 
for lack of proof of age. 
 (2) If a child is admitted in a school without producing the birth certificate, 
the incharge of the school shall send, in writing, the particulars of the child to the local 
authority responsible for birth registration of the child. 
16. Admission, expulsion and corporal punishment .– (1) Subject to such 
exceptions as may be prescribed, a school shall admit children at the commencement 
of every academic year. 
(2)  Subject to the provisions of sections 3 and 6, a school shall not transfer 
or expel a child admitted in the school till the completion of the prescribed education  
until: 
(a) arrangement is made for transfer of the child to any other school  in the 
prescribed manner; 
(b) the child has been assessed in two consecutive annual examinations as 
being below the educational standard of the school; 
(c) a reasoned judgment has been passed by the disciplinary committee of 
the school that further retention of the child in such school shall be 
detrimental to the discipline of the school; or 
(d) the child or parent fails to fulfill any prescri bed condition including non -
payment of fee of a private school. 
(3) If a child is expelled from a school under subsection (2), the incharge of 
the school shall immediately inform the local government and to such officer as the 
Government may authorize to receive such communication. 
(4)  The teacher or incharge of a school shall ensure that a child studying in 
the school is not subjected to corporal punishment or harassment. 
(5)  A person who contravenes any provision of this section shall be guilty of 
gross misconduct and shall be liable to disciplinary action under the law or contract of 
service of such person. 
17. Duties of t eachers.– (1) The incharge of a school  shall effectively carry out 
his functions and shall enforce discipline amongst the teachers and the students. 
(2) A teacher including the incharge shall: 
(a) maintain regularity and punctuality in attending the school, classes, 
curricular and co-curricular activities; 
(b) complete the curriculum within the specified time; 
(c) assess the learning abilities of every child and impart additional 
instructions, if required;  
(d) try for all round development of the child;  
(e) build up child’s knowledge, potential and talent; 
(f) adopt learning through activities, discovery and exploration in a child -
friendly and child-centered manner;  
(g) keep the child free of fear, trauma and anxiety and help the child to 
express his views freely;  
(h) hold regular meetings with parents and share with them the relevant 
information about the child; and 
(i) perform such other duties as may be prescribed.  
(3) A teacher who fails to perform the duties specified in subsection (1) in a 
satisfactory manner shall be liable to disciplinary action under the relevant service laws 
or terms of service contract.  
CHAPTER V 
PROTECTION OF RIGHT OF CHILDREN 
18. Monitoring of right to education.– (1) The Government shall: 
(a) take all necessary measures for the effective implementation of this Act; 
and 
(b) inquire into complaints relating to right to education and take appropriate 
action.  
(2) Any person having any grievance relating to the rights of a child to 
education may make a written complaint to the Government or to the prescribed 
authority. 
(3) On receipt of a complaint under subsection (2), the Government or the 
prescribed authority  shall decide the matter within the period of thirty days  after 
affording a reasonable opportunity of being heard to the parties. 
(4)  Any order passed under this section shall be final and the administration 
of the school shall implement such order. 
CHAPTER VI 
MISCELLANEOUS 
19. Inspections and directions.– (1) In addition to the routine quality assurance 
of the schools and education of different levels , the prescribed authority shall inspect 
or cause to be inspected a school for purposes of ascertaining that this Act and the 
rules have been and are being complied with. 
(2) The Government may issue such guidelines and give such directions to 
a local authority, as it deems fit, for effective implementation of this Act.  
(3) A school shall provide such information as the Government or the 
prescribed authority may require.  
20. Residuary penalty and liability of corporations .– (1) Unless otherwise 
provided, if a person contravenes any order made under this Act, he shall be punished 
with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months or with fine which may 
extend to fifty thousand rupees or with both.  
 (2) If the person contravening an order made under this Act or any penal 
provision of the Act is a Company or other body corporate, every director, manager, 
secretary or other officer or agent thereof shall, unless he proves that the contravention 
took place without his knowledge or that he exercised all due diligence to prevent such 
contravention, be deemed to be guilty of such contravention. 
21. Prosecution and compounding of the offences .– (1) No Court shall take 
cognizance of any offence under this Act except on a complaint in writing made by the 
prescribed authority. 
(2) An offence under this Act shall be bailable and compoundable.  
(3) An officer so authorized by the prescribed authority may, in the 
prescribed manner, compound any offence punishable u nder this Act on payment, 
within such time as may be specified in the order, of specified sum of money which 
shall not exceed fifty percent of the amount of the maximum fine to which the person 
would have been liable if he had been convicted of the offence.  
22. Summary trial .– (1) Notwithstanding anything contained in the Code of 
Criminal Procedure 1898 (V of 1898)  but subject to subsection (3), the Court shall 
summarily try an offence punishable under this Act on the basis of a complaint 
submitted by the authorized officer of the prescribed authority and may impose 
punishment of imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or fine not exceeding 
fifty thousand rupees. 
 (2) The Court shall conduct the summary trial of an offence under the Act in 
accordance with the provisions of Chapter XXII of the Code of Criminal Procedure 
1898 (V of 1898) relating to the summary trials. 
(3) If the Court is of opinion that the nature of the offence does justify 
summary trial , it may conduct proceedings in accordance with the provisions of 
Chapter XX of the Code of Criminal Procedure 1898 (V of 1898). 
23. Protection of action taken in good faith .– No suit or other legal proceeding 
shall lie against the Government, the prescribed authority, a local authority or any other 
person, in respect of anything which is in good faith done  under this Act, the rules or 
any order made under the Act. 
24.  Power to make r ules.– (1) The Government may, by notification, make rules 
for carrying out the purposes of this Act. 
 (2) In particular, and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing 
powers, such rules may provide for any of the following matters: 
(a) manner of maintenance of records of children;  
(b) criteria for determination of disadvantage children or payment of 
vouchers;  
(c) the area or limits for establishment of a neighbourhood school; 
(d) extended period for admission of a child and the manner of completing 
study by the child if admitted after the extended period;  
(e) academic calendar;  
(f) duties to be performed by the teachers;  
(g) the manner of redressing grievances of teachers, students or a ny other 
person;  
(h) the manner of giving opportunity of hearing under this Act;   
(i) receipt of contribution , utilization and w ithdrawal of money from the 
Taleem Fund; and 
(j) maintenance and audit of accounts. 
25. Act to override other laws.– Notwithstanding anything contained in any other 
law, this Act shall have overriding effect and all such other laws shall be brought in 
conformity with the scheme and the objectives of this Act within a period of five years.  
26. Repeal.– The Punjab Compulsory Primary Education Act, 1994 (IX of 1994) 
and the Punjab Free and Compulsory Education Ordinance 2014 (V of 2014) are 
hereby repealed.