CHENNAI: Devakottai in Sivaganga district has five government-aided higher secondary schools, but lacks a government school of that level. With the nearest government higher secondary schools located at least seven to eight km away, students from disadvantaged backgrounds are forced to make a difficult choice: travel long distances to retain eligibility for the 7.5% reservation offered to government school students in professional courses, or study in nearby aided schools and lose the quota benefit.
The disparity is particularly significant in southern Tamil Nadu, where 10 districts account for 45.1% of the total student enrolment in government-aided schools.
Government-aided schools are included in the school network used to assess children’s access to education. However, students studying in government-aided schools are excluded from the 7.5% reservation in professional courses, which is available only to students who complete their schooling from Classes 6 to 12 in government schools.
This distinction puts students in areas where government-aided schools are the most accessible option at a significant disadvantage.
Under Tamil Nadu’s Right to Education (RTE) Rules, 2011, the state must provide access to a neighbourhood school within one km for children in Classes 1 to 5, and within three km for those in Classes 6 to 8.
Ten southern districts account for 45.1% of aided school enrolment in TN
For secondary and higher secondary education, the state’s school-access planning norms envisage a secondary school within five km and a higher secondary school within seven to 10 km of their habitation.
An analysis of UDISE+ (Unified District Information System for Education Plus) 2025-26 data shows that of the 1.24 crore students enrolled in Classes 1 to 12 in TN, 18.76 lakh study in government-aided schools, accounting for more than 15% of the total enrolment. Government schools account for around 35% of enrolment, while private schools account for about 50% in the state.
The distribution, however, varies considerably across regions. Ten southern districts — Dindigul, Madurai, Theni, Ramanathapuram, Sivaganga, Virudhunagar, Tirunelveli, Tenkasi, Thoothukudi and Kanniyakumari — account for 45.1% of the state’s government-aided school enrolment. Together, these districts have about 8.46 lakh students in aided schools, despite accounting for only 23.5% of the state’s total student enrolment.
The dependence on aided schools is particularly high in Thoothukudi, where they account for 39.1% of district enrolment, closely followed by Virudhunagar at 38.6% and Tenkasi at 38%. Enrolment in aided school exceeds that of government schools in five districts — Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli, Tenkasi, Virudhunagar, and Theni. Of the 13 districts where government-aided schools account for more than 20% of student enrolment, 10 are in southern TN. The other three are Tiruchy (23.5%), Thanjavur (21%), and Mayiladuthurai (20%).
“Aided schools were given importance during the Kamaraj regime to improve access to education in areas where there were not enough government schools. These schools had the infrastructure, while the government took care of teachers’ salaries and other expenses on a par with government schools. However, the situation has changed over the last 10 years, with government schools being given more importance,” said Rajajeyasingh, northern zone secretary of the TN Government-Aided Private School Teachers and Staff Federation.
Rajajeyasingh said aided schools also provide free education and their students receive benefits such as free textbooks and other materials. Teachers’ salaries, training and the morning breakfast scheme are also supported by the government, he said. Despite this, students from aided schools remain excluded from the 7.5% preferential reservation, putting those from disadvantaged backgrounds at an added disadvantage, particularly in districts where aided schools account for a large share of enrolment.
TN introduced the 7.5% preferential reservation in 2020 to improve the representation of government-school students in medical admissions. The move followed the recommendations of a committee headed by retired Madras HC judge Justice P Kalaiyarasan, which examined the disadvantages faced by government-school students, including unequal access to expensive NEET coaching. The benefit was subsequently extended to other undergraduate professional courses.
In 2021 the Madras HC dismissed petitions seeking to extend the medical-admission quota to aided-school students, accepting the state’s argument that government-school students faced distinct disadvantages. In April 2022, a larger bench upheld the quota and recommended a review after five years.
Later that year, Justice R Suresh Kumar observed in a separate case that the government could consider extending the benefit to aided-school students, leaving the decision to the state. Extending a separate 2.5% quota to government-aided school students has been a long-standing demand among sections of the aided school community.
“There are several poor students who studied in government-aided schools, both before and after the 7.5% reservation was introduced, and missed out on the benefit. The government should correct this at least now,” said Esakky Pandiarajan, an office-bearer of Tamil Nadu Aided School Non-Teaching Staff Association.
Tamil Nadu figures
Total student enrolment 1.24 crore
in government-aided schools 18.76 lakh (15.1%)
in government schools 43.03 lakh (34.7%)
Aided school enrolment across 10 southern districts( Dindigul, Madurai, Theni, Ramanathapuram, Sivaganga, Virudhunagar, Tirunelveli, Tenkasi, Thoothukudi and Kanniyakumari) stands at 8.46 lakh i.e. 45.1% of the state’s share
8.46 lakh students from south districts
Across 10 southern districts — including Dindigul, Madurai, Tirunelveli, Theni, Sivaganga, Ramanathapuram, and Kanniyakumari — 8.46 lakh students are enrolled in government-aided schools