Panels to monitor SSA

Updated on: Saturday, December 31, 2011

All government and aided schools in the State should soon constitute a School Management Committee that would plan, monitor and implement Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) schemes as per the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act 2009.

A Government Order to this effect, which was issued earlier this week, explains how the Committees are to be constituted and what their functions would be. The RTE Act mandates formation of School Management Committees in all schools with the specific role of closely monitoring different aspects pertaining to the functioning of a school.

The RTE Act seeks to facilitate active participation of parents and the community in ensuring that schools are run well and meet the RTE mandate in every respect.

Composition

The Committee will have 20 members in all. According to the GO, parents or guardians of students should constitute 75 per cent of the Committee's strength. The Committee shall have at least 10 women members. Additionally, parents and guardians of children belonging to disadvantaged groups and weaker sections shall be given proportionate representation, the GO states.

While members among the parents will hold the positions of chairperson and vice-chairperson, the headmaster of the school would be the convener. One teacher representative, 12 other parents, including those of children coming from disadvantaged and weaker sections, two members from the Local Body, one educationist/philanthropist/social worker/retired official and one Self Help Group member.

Role

The School Management Committees will have two primary functions. It will monitor the functioning of the school, and prepare a School Development Plan (SDP) every year. Monitoring the school would include aspects such as ensuring that teachers are regular and punctual, assessing learning abilities of children, taking any deviation from the Act to the notice of the local authority, raising awareness about the Act in the community, mobilising facilities to make the school accessible to students with disability, monitoring the implementation of the mid-day meal scheme and making sure that no teacher engages in private tuition. The Committee will also have to prepare a School Development Plan, assessing various requirements for the school.

As part of SSA's annual work plan and budget for 2011-12, the Government of India has sanctioned Rs. 27 crore for the School Management Committee and the School Development Plan. On whether schools had been given a deadline to constitute the Committee, a senior official of the Department said: “No, there is no specific deadline. But we hope that schools form the Committee within a month's time. We will follow up regularly.”

Panels to monitor SSA

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