School mgmt committees to have greater say in running schools

School Management Committees (SMCs) which have maximum representation of parents will now have greater say, including recommending action against faulty teachers and inspecting records, in running government and aided schools in the national capital.
In new guidelines issued by the Directorate of Education (DoE) defining roles and responsibilities of the SMCs, the panels have been granted enhanced powers.
"In case of unsanctioned absences from the school or the classroom by the teacher, the members of the SMCs authorised are to note the absence in the attendance register. Further, it has the power to summon the teacher to the SMC meeting.

"If there is repeated absence by the teacher or inadequate explanations given for the same, the SMC may recommend to the heads of schools to issue a show cause notice to the teachers," the guidelines said.
The SMCs are constituted every two years but there has been no representation of parents in the committees until last year when the AAP government announced its decision to include them.
The crucial committees will have the mandate to not only control schools run using public money but also to monitor a host of other functions that includes utilisation of funds.

According to the mandate, the elected representatives are also supposed to motivate and help children in their belts and in the vicinity of schools to join school as per the Right to Education Act.

A day before the "Mega PTM" which was conducted last week, the Delhi government had reconstituted the SMCs by changing over a dozen social workers nominated by it.
The reasons given by the DoE behind reconstitution of the panels included-resignations on the ground that they did not find adequate time; some were found to be inactive and had not attended SMC meetings for months and an attempt to switch to place male social workers in boys' schools and women in girls'.