Days after stakeholders of city private schools flagged that the School Management Committees (SMCs) were not fully functioning, the Delhi Government has ordered the dissolution of all SMCs of government and government-aided schools in the city, with immediate effect. The government has instead directed that a school-level SMC Election Committee, headed by the concerned head of the school, to conduct elections to reconstitute a new SMC for their respective schools, as per the RTE Act.
An SMC is responsible for monitoring the school’s functioning, identifying students and teachers’ needs, and monitoring admissions, among other key tasks. It comprises 12 parent members, a school principal, a member teacher, an elected representative of the local authority and a social worker, as per government norms. Its tenure is two years.
The DoE has issued strict directions for the election of new SMCs. To file a nomination, parents must submit their details, including their name, address, phone number, and a photograph, along with their child’s name and class details. They must also describe how they plan to contribute to the school if elected and collect signatures of support from five other parents.
The school-level election committee will carefully check the nominations by May 7. The final list of candidates will be posted on the school’s notice board for all parents to see before the election day. The voting is scheduled to take place on May 9, with morning shift schools holding it from 8 am to 11 am, and evening shift schools from 1 pm to 4 pm. No loudspeakers, posters, or crowding will be allowed in or near the school premises.
District-wise, a three-member permanent core group, comprising a school head and two teachers, is also to be set up by deputy directors of education, which will decide on the appointment of social workers to the School Management Committees.
The PCG is also tasked with overseeing the election process and, after the SMC formation, ensuring that it adheres to norms and coordinates with the State Council of Educational Research and Training, Delhi, for training purposes.
These social workers must apply online, and those showing “very strong aptitude and a natural inclination towards serving the cause of education” with a “verifiable track record” are to be preferred.
A newly elected SMC must have at least 50 per cent women members and a member from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, or the Economically Weaker Sections.
The elected SMC members will then select a vice-chairperson from amongst the parent members. Also, in SMCs, three teachers specialising in social science, science, and mathematics will be special invitees.
