Pune: Private Schools Oppose Fixed RTE Fee Reimbursement Rate; Demand Hike

Pune, 22nd February 2025: The School Education Department has set the reimbursement rate for students admitted under the Right to Education (RTE) Act at ₹17,670 per student for the academic year 2024-25. However, private school owners have strongly opposed this decision, questioning why the reimbursement rate remains stagnant while government taxes, operational costs, and school expenses continue to rise.

Under the RTE Act, children from economically weaker and deprived sections receive free education up to the upper primary level in private unaided self-financed schools. The Education Department reimburses these fees to the schools. The official notification fixing the reimbursement rate for 2024-25 was recently issued by the School Education Department, which also outlined verification guidelines for fee reimbursements.

As per the directive, schools admitting RTE students for at least 25% of their seats must disclose their tuition fees for class 1 to class 8 on the SARAL or RTE website. Additionally, schools with independent websites must publish fee details online. The notification also clarified other procedural aspects related to reimbursements.

Despite these measures, private school owners argue that the reimbursement amount is insufficient and long overdue. They are demanding an increase to ₹30,000 per student, citing rising inflation, increased government taxes, higher school fees, and growing teacher salary expenses. The debate over the stagnant RTE reimbursement rate continues, with schools urging the government to reconsider and adjust the amount to reflect the escalating costs of education.