Despite the Punjab Government’s move to fast-track amendments capping annual fee hikes in unaided schools at 5 per cent, official data show that parents have lodged relatively few complaints against private schools over the past four years.Since 2022, only 166 complaints related to private school fee have been received under the Punjab Regulation of Fee of Unaided Educational Institutions Act, 2016, as amended in 2019. This translates to an average of around 40 complaints a year across the state.Officials said nearly 80 per cent of the complaints have been disposed of, while the remaining cases are under examination. Most complaints relate to alleged violation of fee regulations, including hikes beyond the prescribed limit and the collection of additional charges.Ludhiana recorded the highest number of complaints at 40, followed by Mohali (22), Ferozepur (11), Amritsar (11) and Ropar (10). Barnala and Sangrur reported one complaint each, while Fatehgarh Sahib recorded none.On Thursday, School Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains directed Education Secretary Sonali Giri to draft amendments restricting annual fee increases to 5 per cent and mandating refunds from schools that increased fees by more than 15 per cent cumulatively over the past three years.“Providing accessible and affordable education is the topmost priority of our government. More than 32 lakh students enrolled in nearly 7,800 private schools deserve robust protection from unjustified financial burden and greater transparency,” Bains said. He also criticised the previous Congress government for the 2019 amendments, which he said allowed fee revisions with minimal oversight.However, the Federation of Private Schools and Associations of Punjab (FAP) has urged the government to reconsider the proposal.FAP president Dr Jagjit Singh Dhuri said unaided schools receive no financial assistance from the government and depend entirely on fee revenue to meet operational expenses. With inflation hovering around 5-6 per cent, a 5 per cent cap would leave little room for quality enhancement, technological advancement and implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, he argued.The association proposed retaining the existing 8 per cent cap for schools charging up to Rs 6,000, while recommending a flexible 5 per cent cap for schools charging above Rs 6,000. It also sought waiver of special road tax on school buses, exemption from property tax on school buildings and subsidised electricity on the agriculture pattern.