In the coming week, the directorate of matriculation schools will start sending out forms to schools for reimbursement under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009.
According to the directorate, of the 9,230 reserved seats in the city, excluding those in CBSE and ICSE schools, 5,556 seats or 60 per cent were filled this academic year.
As per the Act, unaided, non-minority schools have to reserve 25 per cent of their seats, in the entry level, for children from ‘weaker sections of society’ and ‘disadvantaged groups’, and impart free education.
The schools, in turn, have to be reimbursed by the government.
An official said they were in the process of drafting the format in which the schools could make a reimbursement claim, along with a verification form to ensure authenticity of the admissions made.
“By next week, the forms will be sent out to schools through the inspectors of matriculation schools. By the end of the month, we hope to consolidate the data and send it to Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA),” said an official. For 2014-15, the component has been included in the SSA budget.
In TN, the amount to be reimbursed will either be the fee fixed by the government-appointed private fee determination committee or the amount spent by the government per child, in a government school, whichever is lesser.
The principal of a matriculation school said they had filled up forms with details of admissions made in July.
“We are hoping reimbursements will reach the schools soon. We collect fees term-wise, and are hoping the reimbursement comes through by next term,” she said.
