The Tamil Nadu Play Schools Association has called for revisions to the Tamil Nadu Private Schools (Regulation) Rules, 2023, saying the rules are unworkable for small pre-schools.

The association, along with the Coimbatore District Play School Owners Association, held a joint annual general body meeting here recently.

Members said several provisions—such as a mandatory 15-year lease for rented buildings, DTCP-approved building plans in the school’s name, and a minimum land requirement—were designed for larger private schools and are impractical for small play schools, many of which are run by women near their homes.

Resolutions passed at the meeting sought a separate Directorate for Preschool Education to ensure that inspections are handled by trained officials, and urged the government to consult the association when framing or revising rules. Further, the age for Class I admission should be fixed at six years.

The associations said the State’s new educational policy does not address pre-school education, despite evidence that 85% of brain development occurs before age six.