2. is an important provision of the Act.
Section 21 of the Right to Free and Compulsory
Education Act 2009 (RTE), mandates the formation
of School Management Committees (SMCs) in all
elementary government, government-aided schools
and special category schools in the country.
The RTE Act envisions an SMC as the basic unit of a
decentralized model of governance with active
involvement of parents in the school’s functioning.
This policy brief by Accountability Initiative and
Central Square Foundation highlights the successes,
challenges and opportunities in the functioning of
SMCs as envisioned in the RTE Act.
Concept of SMC
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3. In the past four years, the implementation of the
SMC provision has seen the following successes
Notification of state rules: All States and
Union Territories have notified their State-
specific SMC rules.
Formation of SMCs: According to 2012-13
District Information System for Education
(DISE) statistics, 88% of government and
government-aided schools have formed SMCs.
Creating the infrastructure to delegate
financial powers to SMCs: 95% of schools that
have SMCs, have made the SMC President a joint
bank account holder with the headmaster to
facilitate the SMC’s entitlement over grant
expenditure
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4. parents or guardians.
Women are to constitute 50% of the SMC membership.
Parents of children of the weaker and deprived sections so also the
parents of children with three different levels (high, medium and low) of
achievements shall be represented adequately.
The remaining 25% would be formed from locally elected representatives,
management members, Head Teacher, teachers, educationists and or
child development experts.
Two students from the school are to be co-opted as non-voting members,
of which one at least must be a girl.
The chairperson of the SMC in government schools will be elected from
the parents. In aided schools, the chairperson will be a management
representative.
The Head Teacher of the school (or, if the post does not exist, the senior-
most teacher) will be the Member-Secretary, and will conduct the
meetings of the SMC. These should be held at least once a month.
The SMC is to be constituted within three months of the new academic
year, and reconstituted every two years.
Members of the SMC
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5. Monitor the enrolment and attendance of
all children from the neighborhood.
Monitor the identification and enrolment
of disabled children, and ensure that they are
provided with facilities and materials till
completion of elementary education.
Monitor the implementation of the Mid-
Day Meal and other Government school
schemes.
Functions of
the SMC
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6. Monitor the maintenance of norms and
standards prescribed in the Schedule which
would include classrooms, school facilities,
teacher-pupil ratios, etc.
Monitor the attendance and punctuality of
teachers.
Monitor the utilization of grants from
government and other sources.
Prepare and recommend the School
Development Plan
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