Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has directed all government and government-aided schools across the state to constitute new School Management Committees (SMCs) starting from July 1, as the tenure of the existing SMCs and SMDCs will expire on June 30, 2026.
As per the fresh guidelines issued by the Odisha School Education Programme Authority (OSEPA), every school will now have a single unified School Management Committee. Under the new structure, two sub-committees — School Building Committee and Academic Committee — will also be formed to specifically look after infrastructure development and academic matters respectively.
The composition of the SMC will be determined based on the student enrolment of the school. Schools with up to 100 students will have 12 to 15 members, those with 100 to 500 students will have 15 to 20 members, while schools with more than 500 students will constitute committees with 20 to 25 members.
Notably, 75 per cent of the members will be parents or guardians of children studying in the school. At least 50 per cent of the total strength of the SMC will be women, with adequate representation also given to parents from SC, ST, OBC, and Children with Special Needs categories.
The government has prescribed a strict timeline for the entire process. Parent-Teacher meetings and the selection or election of members will be held between July 1 and 15. The SMC must be formally constituted by July 17, and all necessary resolutions and consolidated data have to be submitted to the concerned authorities of Odisha School Education Programme Authority by July 22.
The School Management Committees have been entrusted with key responsibilities, including monitoring student attendance, midday meal programme, school infrastructure, safety measures, financial management, and effective implementation of various government schemes. They will be required to hold monthly meetings and maintain proper records of all decisions.
This initiative aims to strengthen community participation and improve the overall functioning and accountability of schools in the state, in line with the provisions of the Right to Education Act, National Education Policy 2020, and Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan.
