Rs 370 crore RTE dues push private schools to dire straits

Chennai

With the State government failing to pay fees for the students who were admitted to private institutions under RTE for the last two years, the number of admissions under the scheme is likely to reduce this time.

According to data available with DT Next, the government is yet to disburse Rs 330 crore for the 2019-2020 academic year and Rs 40 crore for 2018-19. “Though Rs 304.14 crore was allotted for reimbursement, it could not be disbursed due to various reasons, including local body polls,” said a senior official from the School Education Department, seeking anonymity. S Raja, president, Federation of Association of Private Schools in Tamil Nadu, said the association had requested the government several times to disburse the pending amount. “But it has not released funds for the last two years till now, despite assurances given by the authorities,” he said.

The Directorate of Matriculation Schools had recently instructed all self-financing schools to ensure online registration facility for parents seeking admission for their children to kindergarten and Class 1 under RTE. However, noting that many elementary schools in the State are already in dire straits due to non-payment of fees, Raja added: “If funds are not released, many cash-starved schools will not be in a position to admit children under the scheme.”

At present, about one lakh students could be admitted to the private schools in Tamil Nadu numbering more than 6,300. Under the scheme, the Centre and State would share the fee in a 60:40 ratio. But the State should reimburse the schools and then send the proposal to the Centre seeking its share.

The Education Department official said 5,60,829 students have been admitted under RTE from 2013-14 and the government has so far reimbursed Rs 644.69 crore to the schools.