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cationists in Chennai attribute the including 17,000 self-financed and that available resources are directed
sudden interest in SMCs, 14 years 9,000 aided schools, as also 42,000 towards improving infrastructure,
after the RTE Act, 2009, became law government-run schools. “Active and ensuring projects-based learning
in 2010, to the dominance of SMCs parental majorities on SMCs can sig- addressing local problems.
by municipal and panchayat-level nificantly prevent funds misappro- However, he cautions that SMCs
politicians. Parents are either dis- priation and other malpractices in currently lack autonomy. “These
couraged from attending SMC meet- schools. In many cases, particularly committees are merely puppets in
ings or reduced to the status of mute last year, schools with active SMCs the hands of politician-members.
spectators. As a result, politicians also played a vital role in supporting They are used as a formal forum to
are splurging budgetary allocations students to enroll in suitable higher approve decisions already made by
recklessly and awarding contracts education programs,” says advocate the government rather than actively
for school buildings repair and mid- M.J. John Arokia Prabhu, vice driving change. The RTE Act, 2009,
day meals to unqualified cronies president of the Tamil Nadu Private clearly mandates schools should have
in exchange for cuts and commis- Schools’ Association and member of fully functional, elected parent-domi-
sions. Reports from DMK grassroots the legal team at the National Inde- nated SMCs,” says Babu.
workers of these shenanigans have pendent Schools Alliance (NISA). Now that the state government
prompted the DMK government to Prince Gajendra Babu, general has woken to the importance of
revive SMCs and ensure that parents secretary of the State Platform for SMCs in school management and
play a dominant role within these Common School System — Tamil administration, it should ensure that
committees. Nadu (SPCSS-TN), believes that they are parents rather than politi-
The mandate of the RTE Act active parents-driven SMCs can cians driven. Because it’s hardly a
apart, under the subsequent Tamil upgrade teaching-learning standards secret that politicians are focused on
Nadu School Regulation Act of in their schools by fostering col- the next election, and parents on the
2018, it is mandatory for SMCs laboration among parents, teachers, next generation.
to be established in all schools, and local stakeholders, ensuring Shivani Chaturvedi (Chennai)

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