On Mayor’s direction, MCD schools to form SMCs

New Delhi: In a landmark move aimed at transforming education, Municipal Corporation of Delhi Mayor Dr Shelly Oberoi has issued an order directing the formation of School Management Committees (SMC) in all municipal schools. Oberoi stated that MCD looks forward to working with all stakeholders, including parents, teachers, and social workers, to provide the same quality of education as Delhi government’s schools.

As per the Mayor’s order, SMCs will be formed in all MCD and its aided schools in accordance with the provisions of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act 2009 and Delhi Right of Children to Children to Free and Compulsory Education Rules 2011.

The order emphasises the importance of SMCs in the functioning of schools and highlights the crucial responsibilities assigned to them under the Act and Rules. SMCs are mandated to monitor the working of the school, prepare and recommend school development plans, monitor the utilisation of grants, and perform other functions as prescribed.

SMCs are responsible for ensuring the implementation of various sections of the Act, monitoring the enrollment and attendance of all children from the neighbourhood in the school, identifying the needs of the school and preparing a plan, and monitoring the implementation of the mid-day meal programme in the school.

The order lays down the composition and functions of the SMCs, which shall consist of not less than 16 members, with 75 per cent of the strength of the committee from among parents or guardians of children and the remaining 25% from among the school’s head, a teacher, a social worker involved in the field of education, and an elected representative of the local authority.

To ensure the proper formation of SMCs, the Department of Education shall issue guidelines for their formation in all MCD and aided schools, including the conduct of elections, wherever required. The Mayor has urged all concerned officials to ensure that the new SMCs are constituted in accordance with the provisions of the Act and Rules and enabled to become a support to the school.

“We believe that the formation of SMCs will be a significant step towards transforming education in our schools, and we look forward to working with all stakeholders towards this goal, and provide the same quality of education as Delhi government,” Dr Oberoi stated.