Tamil Nadu Holds Central Government Responsible for Delay in RTE Admission 2025-26
RTE Admission in Tamil Nadu 2025-26: Announcement Still Pending!: Why the Hold-Up? The notification for 25% admissions in private primary schools under the Right to Education (RTE) Act has been delayed in Tamil Nadu, sparking concern among parents. Typically announced in late March or early April, the RTE admission schedule allows parents to prepare and upload essential documents such as birth, caste, residence, and income certificates. Last year, the announcement was made on April 1, with online applications opening on April 20. This year, however, the delay has stretched into May, with no official word from the government.
Reason for Delay in RTE Admission in Tamil Nadu
Each year, around 75,000 students secure free education from LKG or Class 1 through Class 8 under the RTE scheme, with over 1.5 lakh applications submitted annually. The government reimburses private schools for these admissions, but for the academic years 2023–2024 and 2024–2025, these reimbursements have not been paid. As a result, more than 4 lakh students across 8,000 private schools remain affected, with dues still pending from the state government.
Official Site the central government’s failure to release the funds for two consecutive years as the reason for the financial backlog. However, some suspect that the Tamil Nadu education department is holding back the admission process due to this uncertainty. The lack of clarity has left parents confused and anxious.
Parents expect that the government should pay special attention to the issue of RTE student admission and issue a public announcement, just as the Tamil Nadu government took action by paying salaries to the employees of the Integrated Education Scheme, without expecting the central government to allocate funds and citing the fact that there is no allocation from the central government.
Beneficiaries of RTE Admission 2025-26 in Tamil Nadu
The Tamil Nadu government offers educational opportunities for underprivileged children through the ‘Kaattaya Ilavasa Kalvi Scheme’ annually. According to Section 12 (1) (C) of the RTE Act 2009, a minimum of 25% of the seats in unaided private schools must be reserved for children from Disadvantaged Groups and Economically Weaker Sections.
The application process is scheduled to commence on May 2nd and conclude by May 29th each year. Additionally, the distance from the child’s residence to the school must not exceed 1 kilometer. A Birth Certificate is a crucial document required for enrollment in Class 1 or LKG at any private school in Tamil Nadu for the academic year 2025-26.
Age Limit and Lottery Draw System in TN RTE Admission 2025
The age criteria for admission are as follows: For LKG, children must be born between August 1, 2021, and July 31, 2022; for Class 1, the birth range is from August 1, 2019, to July 31, 2020. The selection of children under the RTE Scheme in Tamil Nadu will be conducted through an online lottery system managed by the District Educational Authority offices, with results announced on the same day and displayed on the school’s notice board.