SMCs made mandatory from LP to Higher Secondary schools; parent participation, transparency, school safety and community ownership take centre stage
Staff Reporter
Guwahati: The Assam government has notified a new set of comprehensive guidelines governing the constitution, functioning and responsibilities of School Management Committees (SMCs) in all government and provincialised Lower Primary, Upper Primary, Secondary and Senior Secondary schools across the state.
The Department of School Education issued a notification with new norms, which supersedes all previous government orders, notifications and instructions related to SMCs. The guidelines have been framed in accordance with the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, while incorporating the provisions of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the Samagra Shiksha 2.0 framework.
One of the major reforms introduced through the notification is the extension of the SMC system to Secondary and Senior Secondary schools. The existing School Management Development Committees (SMDCs) will now be replaced by SMCs, creating a uniform governance structure for all government schools from the primary to higher secondary level.
The notification mandates that every school must constitute an SMC within one month of the commencement of the academic session. Depending on student enrolment, each committee will consist of 12 to 25 members. Parents and guardians will continue to play the dominant role, accounting for 75 per cent of the committee's strength, while the remaining members will include representatives of local authorities, teachers, educationists, subject experts, alumni and frontline workers such as Anganwadi Workers, ASHA workers and ANMs. At least 50 per cent of the members must be women, with adequate representation for SC, ST, OBC, Children with Special Needs (CWSN) and other Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Groups (SEDGs), the notification states.
The government has considerably expanded the responsibilities of SMCs. Besides monitoring school functioning, the committees will oversee student enrolment and attendance, mainstreaming of out-of-school children, implementation of PM-POSHAN, promotion of Foundational Literacy and Numeracy under NIPUN Bharat, school safety, financial management, social audits and preparation of a three-year School Development Plan. They will also be responsible for promoting inclusive education, monitoring teacher attendance, strengthening parent-teacher engagement and mobilising community support through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), alumni and local organisations.
The notification also introduces greater transparency and accountability. SMC meetings must be held at least once every month, with a minimum quorum of 50 per cent. Meeting minutes are to be properly recorded and displayed publicly. The Member-Secretary, who will be the Headmaster or Principal, has been entrusted with ensuring timely constitution of the committee, conducting elections, maintaining records, organising capacity-building programmes and ensuring compliance with government directives.
Also Read: Assam Introduces New School Management Committee Guidelines for All Government Schools