The Tamil Nadu government has directed private schools to open admissions under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act from April 20 for the 2026–27 academic year. Parents can apply through the official RTE portal. Applications can be submitted until May 18.
An order from the Directorate of Private Schools reportedly issued on April 2, says that the total number of seat availability will be published on school websites on April 6 and on school notice boards on April 7.
The RTE Act allows for a 25% reservation in private, unaided schools for children from marginalised, economically vulnerable communities. The Act mandates the provision of free and compulsory education to all students from the ages of six to 14. The schools are reimbursed for either the tuition fee or the per-child expenditure in government schools, whichever is lower.
The Union and state governments share a 60:40 responsibility for reimbursements. States and UTs are required to notify the Union government of the per-child cost to claim reimbursement.
In 2025, the Union government had refused to release Rs 2,151.59 crore due to the state under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), unless Tamil Nadu implemented the controversial National Education Policy (NEP). The state government subsequently closed the admissions portal in June that year, citing insufficient funds.
The portal was reopened in October 2025 for the 2025-2026 academic year after the Union government released pending funds based on orders from the Madras High Court and Supreme Court.