Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], October 24 : For the academic year 2025-26, 7,717 schools across Tamil Nadu have registered under the Right to Education (RTE) quota. A total of 81,927 students have applied for LKG and 89 students for Class I under the 25 per cent reservation mandated by the RTE Act, an official release said.
According to the release, the final phase of the admission process is scheduled as follows: on October 30, 2025, eligible children will be admitted in schools not requiring a draw of lots, and on October 31, 2025, admissions will be made in schools where the number of applications exceeds available seats, through a transparent and random lot process conducted in the presence of the Head of the Institution and parents. After completion of this process, all selected children will be officially tagged under the RTE quota in the EMIS portal, ensuring their inclusion in the academic roll for the year 2025-26.
The Government of Tamil Nadu has announced the commencement of RTE admissions following the release of Tamil Nadu's due share of reimbursement funds by the Government of India, in compliance with the directions of the Madras High Court and the Supreme Court of India.
Parents and schools are reminded that no tuition or admission fees may be collected from RTE-eligible children, and any amount already collected must be refunded within seven working days. District Monitoring Committees and the State Helpline remain available for assistance and grievance redressal.
According to the release, the RTE Act, 2009, mandates that 25 per cent of seats in entry-level classes of all unaided non-minority private schools are reserved for children from weaker sections and disadvantaged groups.
Admissions in Tamil Nadu are conducted transparently through the school EMIS portal, under the supervision of Chief Educational Officers and District-level Monitoring Committees. Priority is accorded to orphans, transgender children, HIV-affected children, children of scavengers, and differently-abled children.
The Government of Tamil Nadu reiterates its commitment to every child's constitutional right to free and compulsory education and to conducting the RTE 25% admission process in a transparent, equitable, and child-centred manner across the State, the release said.