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Admissions to government schools in Tamil Nadu for the 2025-26 academic year are witnessing a sharp increase, with 3.12 lakh students enrolled as of June 17, according to the Directorate of Elementary Education. Authorities anticipate the number to rise significantly, potentially crossing 4.5 lakh by the end of August, marking a notable increase from last year’s figure of 3.2 lakh.
Among districts, Chennai recorded the highest number of admissions with 17,985 students, followed by Chengalpattu (9,528), Tiruppur (9,385), Salem (8,573), and Tenkasi (8,019). Nilgiris registered the lowest number of enrolments at 1,327, with other low-performing districts including Dharmapuri (2082), Kovilpatti (2544), Theni (2559), and Oddanchatram (3013).
Admissions in the kindergarten (KG) grade stood at 22,757, while class 1 admissions saw a remarkable 1,72,676 enrolments in Tamil medium schools and 52,075 in English medium. Classes 2 to 8 witnessed 65,391 new admissions, indicating growing trust in the state-run schooling system.
One of the reasons attributed to the spike in government school admissions is the non-opening of the Right to Education (RTE) portal for private schools this year. The RTE Act, 2009 mandates that 25% of seats in private schools be reserved for children from disadvantaged sections. However, due to delays in fund disbursal under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyaan by the Union government, the Tamil Nadu government did not initiate the RTE admissions process, which usually begins in March.
Besides, to improve the literacy rate in the state, the School Education Department is working with the Health Department to identify children aged five and above to ensure no child is denied education. Data indicates that 1,06,268 students had already enrolled in government and aided schools as early as March.
Reacting to this success, Education minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, on Wednesday, June 18, took to the social media platform X and wrote, “The government school is not a symbol of poverty. This truth has been proven once again.”