Last Updated:
The ‘Guidelines for School Management Committees (SMCs), 2026’, were released by Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan
The ministry has proposed committee sizes based on student strength—12 to 15 members for schools with up to 100 students, 15 to 20 members for schools with 100 to 500 students, and 20 to 25 members for schools with over 500 students. (File Photo)
The Ministry of Education on Wednesday issued fresh guidelines for School Management Committees (SMCs), mandating a unified committee structure from Balvatika to Class 12 and widening the role of parents, local communities, alumni, and volunteers in school governance.
The “Guidelines for School Management Committees (SMCs), 2026″, released by Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhanreplace the earlier SMC and School Management Development Committee (SMDC) norms under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) and Samagra Shiksha.
How will the committees form?
The ministry has proposed committee sizes based on student strength—12 to 15 members for schools with up to 100 students, 15 to 20 members for schools with 100 to 500 students, and 20 to 25 members for schools with over 500 students.
As per the guidelines, 75 per cent of the committee members must be parents or guardians of enrolled students. The remaining 25 per cent will include teachers, elected representatives of local bodies, educationists, subject experts, alumni, senior students, and frontline workers such as ASHA workers, Anganwadi workers, and Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs). At least half the members must be women.
The guidelines also require quarterly “safety walks” of school premises and disaster preparedness drills at least twice a year.
The guideline document seeks to align school governance with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which stresses decentralised administration and greater community participation in the academic education model.
Under the revised framework, every school has been asked to constitute an SMC within one month of the start of the academic year. States and Union Territories have also been advised to create a single SMC structure for all grades up to Class 12, replacing the existing SMDC model in secondary schools.
The guidelines also mandate representation for socio-economically disadvantaged groups and children with special needs.
“The election of parent or guardian members of the SMC shall be conducted in a democratic, transparent, and inclusive manner to ensure meaningful community participation in school governance,” the document states.
The expanded role envisioned for SMCs goes beyond monitoring attendance and infrastructure. The committees will oversee implementation of schemes such as Samagra Shiksha, PM SHRI and PM POSHAN, track learning outcomes, identify out-of-school children and support enrolment drives.
The guidelines place particular emphasis on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) under the NIPUN Bharat Mission. SMCs have been asked to support local-language reading initiatives, storytelling sessions, reading clubs, and community learning activities to help children achieve grade-level competencies.
On school safety, the ministry has directed SMCs to ensure that schools remain “safe, inclusive, and child-friendly”. Schools must prominently display information on the POCSO Act, Internal Complaint Committees (ICC), and safety protocols on campus.
In a significant financial provision, the ministry has allowed SMCs to execute civil works costing up to Rs 30 lakh, while projects beyond that amount will follow public tender procedures. Schools have also been encouraged to mobilise Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds and community support for infrastructure and academic initiatives.
“The SMC shall drive school transformation by fostering a collaborative ecosystem of community participation and strategic resource mobilisation,” the guidelines state.
The document also stresses convergence with multiple ministries and departments, including Health, Women and Child Development, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, for school health programmes, sanitation, nutrition, skill development, and safety initiatives.
Schools have additionally been directed to prepare three-year School Development Plans (SDPs) covering enrolment projections, staffing requirements, infrastructure gaps, and financial needs. These plans are to be reviewed annually and placed in the public domain.
“Strengthening schools requires a shift from viewing education solely as the government’s responsibility to recognising it as society’s shared mission,” the guidelines say.
Read More
Source link
[ad_3]
