Private schools welcome G.O. on RTE Act fee reimbursement

With funds sanctioned to reimburse the private schools for the fees of students admitted under the Right To Education Act, the district administration convened a meeting on Monday to discuss the admissions for the next academic year.

District Collector Archana Patnaik told the heads of schools that they would be reimbursed as early as possible the fees for the students admitted in the past two years under the RTE Act quota. The academic year of 2015-16 would mark the fourth year of admitting students under the RTE Act.

Private schools are mandated to set aside 25 per cent of their total seats for students from disadvantaged groups or weaker sections free of cost with their fee to be reimbursed by the Central and State Governments.

R. Visalakshi, president of Tamil Nadu Private Schools Association, said that the allocation of funds would make the schools adopt a positive approach to admissions this year.

However, she noted that the funds only cover the fees and not the accessories given by the schools.

Tamil Nadu Nursery, Primary, Matriculation and Higher Secondary Schools Welfare Association general secretary G. Krishnaraj said that the State Government should expedite the reimbursement.

However, Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam Young Wing secretary V. Eswaran said that with funds now sanctioned, the last date for submitting application forms must extended.