Centre Unifies School Governance: Single SMC to Oversee Balvatika to Class 12 The Union government has introduced comprehensive guidelines to unify school governance across India, replacing fragmented systems with a single School Management Committee (SMC) structure that will oversee all educational levels from Balvatika to Class 12. This marks a significant shift from the previous framework, which operated separate bodies for primary and secondary schools. The new guidelines, issued by the Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL) under the Ministry of Education, supersede earlier frameworks such as Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan, and Samagra Shiksha. The core change involves merging the dual system of School Management Committees (SMCs) for primary schools and School Management Development Committees (SMDCs) for secondary and senior secondary schools into a unified structure. Under the new rules, a single SMC will govern all grades, with its composition tailored to the school’s enrollment. Schools with up to 100 students will have 12 to 15 members, those with 100 to 500 students will have 15 to 20 members, and schools with over 500 students will have 20 to 25 members. The guidelines mandate that 75% of SMC members must be parents or guardians of enrolled children, with 50% of the total membership reserved for women. Proportionate representation is also required for children from socio-economically disadvantaged groups and those with special needs. The new framework introduces two formal subcommittees within each SMC: an Academic Committee and a School Building Committee. The Academic Committee will oversee learning outcomes, teacher attendance, student progress, and foundational literacy and numeracy goals.#poCSO_act #department_of_school_education_and_literacy #ministry_of_education #school_management_committee #prashast_app
