School Management Committees

A School Management Committee (SMC) is a school-level participatory body through which parents, teachers and local representatives help oversee elementary education. Under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, it monitors the school, plans its development and promotes accountability in the use of public resources.

Coverage and composition

Under Section 21, every covered school must constitute an SMC; unaided schools under Section 2(n)(iv) are excluded from this requirement. The committee combines community participation with representation of school-level stakeholders.

• At least three-fourths of the members must be parents or guardians of children enrolled in the school.
• Parents or guardians of children from weaker sections and disadvantaged groups must receive proportionate representation.
• At least 50 per cent of the committee members must be women.
• The remaining membership includes elected representatives of the local authority, teachers and other persons as prescribed.

Statutory functions

The SMC acts as the principal community-based oversight and planning mechanism at the school level.

• It monitors the working of the school, including matters relevant to the provision of elementary education.
• It prepares and recommends the School Development Plan.
• It monitors the utilisation of grants received from the appropriate government, local authority or other sources.
• It performs additional functions prescribed under the applicable rules.

School planning and advisory limitation

Under Section 22, the School Development Plan prepared by the SMC forms the basis for plans and grants made by the appropriate government or local authority. SMCs in minority-administered schools and other aided schools perform only an advisory function, preserving the distinction between community advice and management authority in these institutions.

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