The Gujarat government has decided to reconstitute School Management Committees (SMCs) in government, grant-in-aid and municipal schools in line with the Union Ministry of Education’s School Management Committee Guidelines, 2026. The move aims to strengthen community participation, improve transparency and enhance accountability in school administration.
Under the new framework, schools will no longer have separate committees for primary and secondary sections. Instead, each school will have a single School Management Committee covering Classes 1 to 12. This replaces the existing system of separate School Management Committees (Classes 1–8) and School Management and Development Committees (SMDCs) for Classes 9–12.
The Education Department has issued a Government Resolution (GR) directing all eligible schools to implement the revised structure.
Parents to Form 75% of Committee Members
The revised guidelines give parents a larger role in school governance. Seventy-five per cent of the committee members must be parents or guardians of students studying in the school. In addition, at least 50 per cent of the total members must be women.
The committee will be chaired by a parent or guardian elected from among the parent members. A Vice-Chairperson will also be elected from the parent representatives, while the school principal or head teacher will serve as the Member Secretary.
The remaining 25 per cent of the committee will include representatives from local self-government bodies, teachers, educationists, alumni and subject experts to ensure wider community participation.
Committee Size Based on Student Enrolment
The size of the committee will depend on the school’s student strength.
- Schools with up to 100 students will have 12 to 15 members.
- Schools with 100 to 500 students will have 15 to 20 members.
- Schools with more than 500 students will have 20 to 25 members.
The tenure of the newly constituted School Management Committees will be two years.
Schools will also be required to hold at least one committee meeting every month to review school administration, infrastructure, student welfare, enrolment, learning outcomes and other development-related issues.
In Line With NEP 2020
The new policy follows the Union Ministry of Education’s School Management Committee Guidelines, 2026, which seek to create a unified governance structure for schools from the foundational stage to Class 12 while encouraging greater community participation.
The initiative is also aligned with the objectives of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which promotes active involvement of parents and local communities in school management and educational decision-making.
Education officials said the unified committee system is expected to improve coordination between primary, secondary and higher secondary sections, reduce duplication of responsibilities and support better planning and implementation of school development programmes.
However, officials acknowledged that the new structure alone may not address longstanding issues such as teacher shortages, single-teacher schools and inadequate infrastructure. They said the success of the initiative will depend on active parental participation and sustained administrative support.