Tamil Nadu schools barred from collecting exam fees, question paper charges from students

The Tamil Nadu School Education Department on November 3, 2026, issued a directive prohibiting government and aided schools across the state from collecting exam fees and question paper charges from students. This action follows an interim injunction from the Madurai Bench of the high court, which found the practice violated the Right to Education Act for students in Classes 6th to 8th.

The directive mandates that heads of government and aided schools must no longer collect these fees, with strict action threatened against those who do. The instruction has been circulated to chief education officers, ensuring its application to all schools under their jurisdiction.

New Directive on Exam and Question Paper Fees

The School Education Department’s directive explicitly states that collecting exam fees or question paper charges from students will attract punitive action. This measure directly addresses the high court’s interim injunction, which deemed the practice unlawful for students in Classes 6th to 8th, citing a breach of the Right to Education Act. School heads typically collect between INR 100 to 150 per student for these charges.

The collected amounts were historically sent to a district coordinator, often a Headmaster, who then forwarded the funds to the printing presses responsible for producing question papers. Every school is known to maintain a record of the amounts collected. The new directive aims to eliminate this practice entirely within government and aided institutions.

Complaint Mechanism for Students and Parents

To ensure compliance and provide recourse, Chief Education Officers have been instructed to receive complaints regarding the collection of these fees. Students and their parents are encouraged to approach the CEO’s office to lodge a formal complaint if any school attempts to collect the prohibited charges. An official with the education department stated, “Students, along with their parents, can approach the CEO’s office and lodge a formal complaint if the fee is collected. Further, they can use the helpline 108 to flag the issue.” Strict action is promised against any erring school heads.

Broader Context of Fee Regulation in Tamil Nadu

This directive comes amidst broader efforts by the Tamil Nadu government to regulate school education costs. The Tamil Nadu Schools (Regulation of Collection of Fee) Amendment Act, 2026, was passed in the State Assembly on Monday, aiming to curb arbitrary fee hikes by private schools. This amendment seeks to ensure that fees charged by private schools are reasonable, justified, and non-exploitative.

The new amendment establishes a seven-member committee, headed by a retired High Court judge, to determine the fee structure for private schools. This committee will include a parent representative from the State Parent-Teachers Association, the Director of School Education, representatives from private schools and elementary education, a Joint Chief Engineer from the Public Works Department, and an officer from the School Education Department. Fees fixed by this committee will be mandatory for all private schools and valid for three academic years. The previous law, the Tamil Nadu Schools (Regulation of Collection of Fee) Act, 2009, did not include direct parent representation in fee-fixing, and fee fixation will now occur once every three years instead of more frequently. The fee structures of CBSE and ICSE-affiliated schools currently remain sub judice.

Demands for Revaluation Expense Coverage

Student welfare activists are advocating for schools to cover revaluation expenses for higher secondary school students. S Arumainathan, president of the TN Students Parents Welfare Association, stated that while the amount is typically less than INR 500 for scanned copies of answer sheets, students currently bear this cost. He highlighted that revaluation costs for specific subjects, such as Biology, can be higher.

Arumainathan suggested that the government could incur these expenses, noting that despite being a “meagre” amount, students continue to pay for these services. This proposal comes amidst broader efforts to regulate education costs in Tamil Nadu, aiming to alleviate financial burdens on students and parents.

Written by Nishit Kumar

Nishit Kumar is a senior EdTech industry leader with over a decade of experience in building and scaling education platforms, shaping their product, content, and growth strategy. At FindMyCollege, Nishit oversees content and editorial strategy, guiding topic selection and content frameworks to ensure accuracy, relevance, and student-first value across the website.

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