Tamil Nadu government has made it clear that all private schools should provide free education to 25 per cent of students from disadvantaged and weaker sections else their recognition would be withdrawn.
The Tamil Nadu government has notified the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act 2009, which provides for free and compulsory education to all children aged 6-14 years, a year after the Central Act came into force.
In an order dated November 8, the state said schools should admit students in pre-school and class I to the extent of 25 per cent of the strength in each class, from among children belonging to weaker section and disadvantaged groups in the neighbourhood and provide free and compulsory elementary education.
Allaying the fears of private schools, the government said it would reimburse the fees — fixed by the state fee fixation committee — of such students.
The Act stipulates that private schools should not discriminate against children belonging to weaker sections and disadvantaged groups.
Welcoming the Act, Dr N. Vijayan, correspondent of Zion matriculation higher secondary school, said the state government should allow schools to maintain 1:30 teacher-student ratio as hundreds of parents come to school for admission and it would be a big challenge for schools to admit students without entrance test or interview.