Gujarat to form unified School Management Committees, 75% members to be parents

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, with the stated aim of strengthening community participation in school governance and improving accountability in the education system.

Under the revised framework, schools will no longer maintain separate committees for primary and secondary sections. Instead, a single School Management Committee will be constituted for the entire school, covering Classes 1 to 12. The move replaces the existing arrangement of separate School Management Committees for Classes 1–8 and School Management and Development Committees (SMDCs) for Classes 9–12.

The state Education Department has issued a Government Resolution (GR) directing schools to implement the new structure.

Greater role for parents in school governance

The new guidelines place significant emphasis on parental participation in decision-making. According to the revised norms, 75 per cent of SMC members must be parents or guardians of students enrolled in the school. In addition, at least 50 per cent of the total committee members must be women.

The committee will be headed by a Chairperson elected from among the parent or guardian 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.

Apart from parents and guardians, the committee will include an elected representative of the local self-government body, teachers, educationists, alumni and subject experts. The remaining 25 per cent of seats will be filled from these categories to ensure broader representation in school governance.

Committee size linked to student strength

The size of the committee will vary depending on enrolment.

Schools with up to 100 students will have between 12 and 15 members. Schools with 100 to 500 students will have 15 to 20 members, while institutions with more than 500 students will have committees comprising 20 to 25 members.

The government has also revised the tenure of School Management Committees. The new committees will remain in office for two years.

To ensure regular oversight, schools will be required to hold at least one committee meeting every month. These meetings will review school administration, infrastructure, student welfare, enrolment, learning outcomes and other development-related matters.

Aligned with NEP 2020 objectives

The state’s decision follows the Union Ministry of Education’s School Management Committee Guidelines, 2026, which seek to strengthen grassroots participation, improve transparency and establish a unified governance structure for schools from the foundational stage through Class 12.

The policy is also aligned with the objectives of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which advocates greater involvement of parents and local communities in school management and educational decision-making.

According to education officials, the common committee system is expected to improve coordination between primary, secondary and higher secondary sections, reduce duplication of responsibilities and support more effective planning and implementation of school development initiatives.

However, questions remain over how much impact the new structure will have on longstanding challenges such as teacher vacancies, single-teacher schools and infrastructure deficiencies. The success of the initiative is likely to depend on both active parental participation and sustained support from the education administration.