Chennai: On October 28, school management committee (SMC) meetings are to be held, according to a directive from the Tamil Nadu school education department.
The state government's "Naam Palli Naam Perumai" programme included the formation of the SMCs.
According to the Right to Education (RTE) Act, each SMC will have 20 members, 15 of whom must be parents or legal guardians of the students, and more than 50% of them must be women. Each school management committee will include elected members of the relevant local bodies, students, and teachers who are not parents or guardians.
The SMCs stipulate that there must be parents' or guardians' representation for children from underprivileged groups. The most recent SMC gathering took place in Tamil Nadu in March.
The role of SMCs
The meetings must be held between 3 and 4.30 pm, as per the school education department. The department has given the SMCs instructions to actively increase enrollment in government schools and enhance teaching and learning processes. Additionally, the SMCs are instructed to make an effort to re-enroll any absentee pupils.
In a circular, the Tamil Nadu department of school education requested that schools maintain and update the TNSED Parents app for parents.
The chairpersons of the SMCs and other members are also instructed to monitor the students' health and perform routine physicals on them. The SMCs must also keep an eye on how the students performed in the quarterly exams.
The Grama Sabha meeting will be conducted on November 1st, which is Local Governance Day, and the school education department has also instructed the SMCs at the schools connected to the Grama Panchayats to discuss the resolutions passed in its meeting.
The SMC meetings will be observed by the district and block educational officers.
