45% jump in applicants for RTE seats in TN schools

APPLICATIONS for admissions in private schools under the Right to Education (RTE) Act have increased by around 45%, with the Tamil Nadu school education department receiving 1.58 lakh applications this year compared to 1.1 lakh applications received in 2023.

-  SUBASHINI VIJAYAKUMAR

Under the RTE Act, 25% of seats in entry-level classes in private schools are reserved for students from economically weaker sections. The trend shows the appeal for private schools among parents and their belief about better quality education being offered by them compared to government schools, sources said.

This year, the department has received 1,74,756 applications for the 84,765 RTE seats through its single-window portal. Only schools following state syllabus were included and not those following CBSE or other boards. Chief Education Officers scrutinised the applications from May 10 to May 27. After rejecting applications for lack of documents or failure to meet criteria, 1,57,767 applications were deemed eligible.