The Punjab government has ordered physical verification of students enrolled in all licensed private schools across the province, with the aim of identifying fake enrolments. Schools found to be involved in fraudulent enrolment will have their licences cancelled. The drive covers Punjab private schools in all 41 districts and must be completed by November 20, 2026.
How the checks will be carried out
District focal persons and Assistant Education Officers (AEOs) have been given responsibility for the process. AEOs will personally visit their assigned schools and verify the students there in person.
Private schools must be informed at least one day before an inspection. The government has warned that any school found keeping fake student records could lose its licence.
Why licences are the main penalty
Private schools in Punjab operate under licences issued by the provincial government, and the order links the penalty for fake enrolment directly to those licences. A school found to have fake enrolments therefore risks losing the right to operate as a licensed school. The order applies to all licensed schools, so the checks are not limited to schools already under suspicion.
What happens next
The verification must be finished by November 20, 2026. Once the checks are complete, schools found involved in fake enrolment will face cancellation of their licences, as the order states. The checks are intended to make sure that the students recorded by each Punjab private school are the students actually attending it.
