The Tamil Nadu School Education Department has released the schedule for admissions under the Right to Education (RTE) Act for the upcoming academic year. The process is set to start on Thursday, marking a return to a more structured timeline after delays last year. Preparatory activities will kick off on April 2.
On April 6, the department will inform private schools about the number of seats to be reserved under the RTE quota. These figures will be determined based on data from the Education Management Information System (EMIS).
To ensure transparency, eligible private schools are required to display the available seats under the 25 per cent RTE quota on their premises from April 7. A consolidated list of available seats in schools will also be published online on April 15 for parents to review and choose from.
The application window for admissions will open on April 20 and close on May 18. Parents need to submit applications through the official online portal within this period. The entire admission process is expected to wrap up by May 29.
Under the RTE Act, 25 per cent of seats in Lower Kindergarten (LKG) and Class I in unaided, non-minority private schools are reserved for children from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. This provision benefits around 85,000 students annually, providing them with access to quality education.
Eligibility criteria are clearly outlined, with priority given to children living within a one-kilometre radius of the school. For LKG admissions, children should be born between August 1, 2021, and July 31, 2022, while for Class I, the eligible birth date range is from August 1, 2019, to July 31, 2020.
In cases where applications outnumber available seats, a lottery system will be conducted on May 22 to ensure a fair selection process. Last year, RTE admissions were delayed until October due to funding issues under the Samagra Shiksha scheme. Officials are optimistic for smoother implementation and increased participation this year.
