Bhaktapur, July 21

Department of Education has directed district education offices across the country to ask all schools under their jurisdiction to form new school management committees in accordance with the eighth amendment to the Education Act,1971.

Issuing a notice yesterday, DoE said the amendment to the Education Act had come into effect from June 29.

As per the amended Education Act, the new SMCs should include four representatives with at least two women from among parents, chairman of the ward where the school is located, two people with at least one woman nominated by SMC from among school founders, local intellectuals, educationists or those who have supported the school by donating cash or certain assets, as members.

Similarly, a teacher nominated from among school teachers is also a member and the school principal remains the member secretary of SMC.

The act also states that one person from among parents or ward chief or an educationist can be elected as the chairperson of the committee. Prior to the amendment, the SMC chairman had to be elected from among parents.

Baikuntha Aryal, spokesperson, DoE, today said the previous SMCs had become defunct after the enactment of the amended Education Act. He also urged schools to begin the process of forming new SMCs.

“But since many schools are feigning ignorance, we have issued a notice directing all DEOs and regional education directorates to ask schools to form new SMCs,” he said, adding that the schools could appoint new teachers on contract basis only through the new SMCs.

Due to lack of new SMC, the schools are facing various problems.

As per the amended act, in case of delay in appointment of the chairperson, the most senior member of the committee shall chair the meeting.

Likewise, the SMC of the school running special education should have at least 50 per cent members from among the parents whose children are differently-abled and there should be at least one differently-abled person as a member in SMC in schools running inclusive education or resource classes.

There are more than 35,000 schools across the country.