The private schools in the state are at a crossroads. The injustice being perpetuated to private schools, especially budget schools is alarming. The CBSE, ICSE, International Schools etc do not come under the purview of Tamil Nadu Private School Fee Determination Committee.
The State fixes the fee for budget schools and there are several parameters that one has to adhere to and the number of approvals from different government departments takes a toll on the management.
Government schools in the state are crumbling and many function with single teachers. According to the latest figures, 10,000 government school buildings are in a bad condition and require repairs but nothing is done. On the other hand, property tax is imposed on private schools. There are many schools that are doing a good job in providing quality education at minimum cost but are required to pay heavy property tax.
The budget schools in Tamil Nadu are bearing the burden of providing education to the masses but there is no support from the government. There is no disbursement of RTE amount for the last two years which has touched Rs 1000 crores.
In the last week of May, 6000 Government school teachers retired from service and there is no indication to fill this gap. The burden would be borne by private schools and the Tamil Nadu government needs to extend help to these schools in terms of subsidy. Take for instance, the electricity bill tariff. For government schools, it is Rs 1.50 per unit as opposed to Rs 8.50 to Rs 10 per unit for private schools.
As for RTE admission, 1 lakh students get admission through the RTE route. This year, the government has yet to make an announcement for admissions.
The renewal of recognition is a cumbersome process and is nothing but an harassment tool. The renewal should be given for a three-year-period, but is given only for one year. Private school managements have to grease the palms of several officials from different departments. Laisioning with the DEO, CEO, Tahsildar, Fire department, Transport department every year is taking a toll. There are 10,000 schools in Tamil Nadu that still need to get renewal of recognition.
Muralidharan, a correspondent of a private school in Chennai says, “From the labour officer, ESI department, PF, local panchayat, Town and Country Planning, Sanitary inspector there is pressure from all. Take the case of bus renewal, 21 conditions are to be met.”
This article was originally published in the July 2025 edition of Brainfeed Magazine.
