Madurai: Thousands of teachers from around 7,800 private self-financing schools across Tamil Nadu that admit students under the 25% quota mandated by the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009, observed a one-day black badge protest on Wednesday, condemning the state govt’s delay in releasing pending reimbursements for the past two years. In Madurai alone, around 4,500 teaching and non-teaching staff from 150 schools took part in the protest.

According to M Arumugam, state president of the Federation of Private School Associations (FePSA), the protest was intended to draw attention to the severe financial crisis faced by schools. “As per the RTE Act, we have been providing admission to 25% of seats in entry-level classes since 2013-14. Currently, about 4.5 lakh children from LKG to Class 8 are studying under this scheme without paying tuition fees,” he said.

The federation alleged that reimbursements for the academic years 2023-24 and 2024-25 remain unpaid, pushing many institutions into debt. “Several schools are running in financial strain and some have been forced to close down too. Many principals and teachers are under severe mental stress,” Arumugam said.

“It is disappointing that despite implementing various welfare schemes worth thousands of crores, state govt has not prioritised this vital educational support,” he said. He added that around 450 crore per year, including the Union govt’s share, must be given to support these 4.5 lakh students.

FePSA urged the govt to immediately clear the pending dues and ensure that RTE funds are released every year on time to prevent further distress in the education sector.

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