100s of schools yet to get RTE reimbursement, ETEducation
Chennai: Even after a two-year wait, hundreds of private matriculation schools in the state are yet to receive reimbursements under the Right to Education (RTE) Act. Despite the govt sanctioning about 875 crore for the purpose, the fund has not been disbursed to all schools.
Though officials from directorate of private schools say only about 500 schools are yet to receive the amount, private school associations say at least 50 schools in each district did not receive the sum, taking the total to more than 2,000.
On Dec 3, 2025, the govt sanctioned 450 crore to 7,609 schools towards reimbursements for 2024-25 and 425 crore to 7,594 schools for 2023-24. Directorate of Private Schools had assured that the amount would be disbursed to all schools within a week.
“More than a month passed, and the govt only released the amount for 2023-24, that too to just about 5,900 schools,” said S Arumugam, president of the Federation of Private Schools Association.
Schools claim that it becomes difficult to allocate funds for basic needs of schools, such as building a compound wall or building more toilets. “It has been three years now, and about 3 lakh is pending,” said K Saravanan, principal of Sree Maruti Kids Nursery and Primary School in Krishnagiri.
When asked, K Bhaskaran, assistant project officer, Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, said account mismatches by schools were the primary reason for the delay. “District education officers (private schools) are informing the school heads to rectify anomalies from their end,” he added.
An official from Directorate of Private Schools said several schools changed their bank accounts. “Several schools transferred ownership and changed management. Such issues can also lead to delays. Only about 500 schools are yet to receive the reimbursements,” the official said, adding that the amount would be disbursed by Jan 10. Private schools, however, deny the charges.
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