Section 2: Definitions

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,- (a) academic year means the period commencing on the first day of June to the 31st day of May of the succeeding year or such other period as may be specified by the respective Educational Boards; (b) affiliation means formal enrolment of a school with the respective Board of Examination for the purpose of following approved courses of studies and for preparing students according to the approved courses for the examinations; (c) aided school means a school receiving any aid as grant out of the State funds to meet its expenses; (d) appellate authority means any authority, officer or person authorised by the Government to perform the functions of the appellate authority under this Act; (e) The Code of Conduct means the code of conduct formulated by the Government; (f) competent authority means any authority, officer or person authorized by the Government to perform the functions and discharge the duties of the competent authority under this Act for such area, for such purposes or in relation to such classes of private schools, as may be prescribed; (g) Director means,- (i) The Director of School Education in respect of all aided and partly aided High and Higher Secondary Schools including Anglo-Indian Schools; (ii) The Director of Elementary Education in respect of all aided and partly aided Primary Schools and Middle Schools; (iii) The Director of Private Schools in respect of all self financing Private Schools, affiliated to the State Board of School Education, central Board of Secondary Education, Indian certificate of Secondary Education, International Baccalaureate and such other boards; (iv) The Director of State council for Educational Research and Training in respect of all Teacher Training Institutes imparting education or training, whether receiving grant from the Government or not; (h) educational agency means a Company registered under section 8 of the Companies Act, 2013 (Central Act 18 of 2013) or a Society registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 (central Act XXI of 1860) or the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act, 1975 (Tamil Nadu Act 27 of 1975) or a Trust created under the Indian Trusts Act, 1882 (Central Act 2 of 1882) which has established or proposes to establish a private school; (i) "Government" means the State Government; (j) "grant" means any sum of money paid as aid out of the State funds to any private school; (k) "minority school" means a private school of its choice established and administered by any such minority whether based on religion or language as has the right to do so under clause (1) of Article 30 of the Constitution and so declared by the State Government or by the National commission for Minority Educational Institutions; (l) notification means any notification issued by the Government under this Act and published in the Tamil Nadu Government Gazette; (m) private school means a Play School, Nursery and Primary, Primary, Middle, High and Higher Secondary School or Teacher Training Institute imparting education and training, whether receiving grant from the Government or not, established and administered or maintained by an educational agency and recognized by the competent authority under this Act, but does not include a school or an institution,- (i) established and administered or maintained by the Central Government or the State Government or any local authority; or (ii) imparting religious instruction alone, but not any other instruction; (n) prescribed means prescribed by Rules made under this Act; (o) recognised school means a private school recognised by the competent authority under this Act; (p) recognition means a formal certification granted by the competent authority to run a school that conforms to the standards and conditions laid down under this Act; (q) school committee means the school committee constituted under section 14; (r) secretary means the secretary referred to in section 14; (s) staff means and includes both teaching and non-teaching employee of a private school.