CHENNAI: The School Education department has reduced the reimbursement to schools for students enrolled under the Right To Education (RTE) Act this year.
According to the GO issued by the school education department to the Director of Matriculation Schools, there is a reduction in reimbursement fees ranging from Rs 300 to Rs 1,400 from LKG to Class 8 compared to 2021-22 academic year. Private schools say that the reduction in RTE reimbursement will prompt them to discourage RTE admissions as they are already in a financial crisis due to the pandemic.
“As the state government is not going to pay appropriate reimbursement to private schools, many schools will devise methods to discourage poor students eligible to get admissions under RTE in their schools,” said the principal of a private school, who wished not to be named.
“A school incurs an expenditure of at least Rs 40,000 a year towards educating a student but the government has decided to pay only Rs 15,711 as reimbursement for a Class 8 student admitted under RTE. Last year, the government decided to pay only 75% of the fees and that too many of the schools are yet to receive the reimbursement. Every year, we file pleas in Madras high court against the state government,” said K R Nandakumar, general secretary of the Tamil Nadu Nursery, Primary, Matriculation, Higher secondary and CBSE Schools Association.
School education department officials said the reduction has been done as many monetary welfare schemes have been launched for poor school students by the government.
According to RTE rules, the state government fixes the maximum amount that it would reimburse private schools for a student admitted under the RTE Act. Private schools have to reserve 25% seats for students (between ages 6 and 14) based on economic status.