CHENNAI: Even after more than 10 days after the start of admissions, the School Education Department has received only 18,000 applications for admissions under the Right to Education (RTE) Act, against the approximately 85,000 seats available across the state.
Parents can apply for entry-level classes in private schools, where 25% of seats are reserved for children from underprivileged backgrounds, until May 18 through the official portal. Students residing within a 1-km radius of the school are eligible to apply. Children born between August 1, 2021, and July 31, 2022, are eligible for LKG admission, while those born between August 1, 2019, and July 31, 2020, can apply for Class I.
According to the department, it received 1.58 lakh eligible applications in 2024-25 and 1.1 lakh in 2023-24. Last year, RTE admissions were delayed until October due to the non-release of Samagra Shiksha funds by the Union government. As the admissions were over by the time funds were released, fresh applications were not invited, and only students already admitted to entry-level classes were regularised under the RTE quota after funds were released.
Although schools have been directed to display the number of seats available under the RTE quota, the department has so far received less number of applications. Officials attributed this to last year’s disruption.
“We will extend the deadline if a sufficient number of applications are not received and will ask private schools to spread awareness among parents,” a senior official said.
