The Tamil Nadu government has confirmed admissions for 24,868 students under the Right to Education (RTE) Act for the 2026-27 academic year, with the count expected to climb further by the weekend as parents complete formalities. Officials said the figures, current till Tuesday afternoon, reflect steady uptake even as a parallel fee-transparency drive targeting private schools gathers pace across the state.

Applications far outstrip seats

According to the Directorate of Matriculation Schools, a total of 2,51,537 applications were received against 82,888 seats available under the RTE quota in 7,740 private schools across Tamil Nadu. The RTE Act requires private unaided schools to reserve 25% of entry-level seats for children from economically weaker and disadvantaged sections.

A senior education department official said admissions are continuing across districts, with more confirmations expected, particularly from rural and remote pockets where parents may need additional time for documentation.

‘Till Tuesday afternoon, 24,868 seats had been confirmed based on parental acceptance. We expect the number to increase further by the weekend as the remaining selected candidates complete the admission process,’ the official said.

How this compares with last year

During the 2025-26 academic year, a total of 63,991 seats were filled under the scheme across Tamil Nadu. With over 2.5 lakh applicants chasing fewer than 83,000 seats this cycle, demand continues to vastly exceed supply — a pattern that has held for several years in the state's RTE rollout.

Parallel push on private school fees

Alongside the admissions exercise, the state has launched a fresh drive to tighten oversight of fee collection by private schools. The Directorate of Matriculation Schools has directed district and regional education authorities to collect fee-structure details from every private institution operating in Tamil Nadu.

The move follows instructions from the Tamil Nadu Fee Determination Committee, the statutory body that regulates private school fees. According to an official circular, authorities have been asked to gather information from schools affiliated to matriculation, CBSE and other recognised boards. The exercise is being carried out under the Tamil Nadu Schools (Regulation of Collection of Fee) Act, 2009.

What officials have been told to do

Officers have been instructed to compile fee structures approved for the current academic year and submit them to the committee for review. District Chief Educational Officers have been tasked with coordinating the data collection and forwarding information from all eligible schools without delay.

Education department officials said the initiative is part of the government's ongoing effort to enforce transparency in school fee collection and ensure compliance with statutory rules governing private institutions. Further updates on both the RTE seat tally and the fee audit are expected later this week.