Time runs out for RTE admissions in TN pvt schools

EVEN as the Tamil Nadu government continues to fight for the release of central funds under the Samagra Shiksha (SS) scheme withheld last year, there is no clarity regarding admissions under the Right to Education Act this year in TN, the funds for which are covered by said scheme.

- SUBASHINI VIJAYAKUMAR

Although the state government had earlier assured that it would bankroll the scheme entirely from its own resources until the centre releases funds, the silence on admissions under the RTE Act for the upcoming 2025-26 academic year, commencing in less than two weeks, has raised doubts.

The notification for admissions to Class 1 under the RTE Act for 25% of the seats, which all private state board schools are mandated to reserve for children from economically weaker sections, is usually issued by the government in mid-April. Following this, applications can be filed in the state government's online portal, with the admission processes by the respective schools coming to a close by May. However, this year, the government has neither issued the notification nor expressed clearly if admissions will even happen.