School Management Committees mandatory in all Assam government schools under new notification

The Assam government has issued a fresh notification revising the constitution, roles and responsibilities of School Management Committees (SMCs) for all government and provincialised Lower Primary, Upper Primary, Secondary and Senior Secondary schools across the state.

The notification, issued by the Department of School Education, supersedes all previous government orders, notifications and instructions relating to School Management Committees. The revised norms have been framed in accordance with the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, and the Samagra Shiksha 2.0 framework.

According to the notification, every school must constitute an SMC within one month of the commencement of the academic session. The government has also directed that School Management Committees be formed in all schools, including secondary and senior secondary institutions, replacing the earlier School Management Development Committees (SMDCs).

The SMCs will play a key role in strengthening decentralised school governance by encouraging greater community participation in school education. The committees will comprise officials, parents or guardians of students, representatives of local authorities, academicians, subject experts, school alumni and members from disadvantaged groups.

The number of committee members will vary according to student enrolment. Schools with up to 100 students will have 12–15 members, those with 100–500 students will have 15–20 members, while schools with more than 500 students will have 20–25 members.

The government said the revised guidelines are aimed at strengthening school-level governance and aligning local practices with the national vision of inclusive, participatory and accountable education under NEP 2020.