CHENNAI: The integrated education department has set the deadline as August 19 for all tribal residential schools, forest department schools and Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBV) to reconstitute school management committees (SMCs) on August 19.
While the reconstitution of SMCs, mandated under the Right to Education (RTE) Act, in government schools, was undertaken in April and May 2022, these schools have failed to complete it. The 15-member SMCs should have at least seven women members and should be chaired by one of them. Parents of a differently-abled student should be given priority to be its deputy chairman. The committee will also have the headmaster as its member-convener, a female teacher and local body representatives as the member. An education activist/NGO/retired teacher can also be a member.
While KGBVs are usually run by NGOs chosen by the district collector, the SMC member should be from a different NGO, said the integrated education department. The headmasters of the schools have been asked to inform the parents in writing about the reconstitution of SMCs and conduct a meeting to choose the members on August 19.