Jaipur: A day after private school associations challenged the Centre’s School Management Committee (SMC) Guidelines 2026, the Ministry of Education clarified Thursday that private unaided schools exempted under the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009, will not be covered by the new provisions, while continuing to encourage such institutions to voluntarily constitute SMCs.
The clarification follows representations by the Association of Independent Schools of India and other private school bodies, which argued that the guidelines mandating the formation of SMCs for all schools were inconsistent with the RTE Act. The associations sought an explicit clarification that the guidelines should apply only to government and government-aided institutions.
In a statement, the ministry said the SMC Guidelines 2026 were issued to strengthen community participation in school education and foster greater transparency, accountability and participatory governance.
Shared Responsibility
“Education is a shared responsibility of the government, schools, parents and the community, and strengthening collaboration among all stakeholders remains essential for improving school functioning and ensuring better learning outcomes for children,” the ministry said.
It added that the objective of the guidelines is to create community ownership of schools by bringing all stakeholders onto a common platform. The ministry acknowledged receiving representations and concerns regarding the applicability of the guidelines to differently managed schools in the context of Section 21 of the RTE Act.
Official Communication
“In view of the concerns raised and after due consideration, the Ministry, through a communication dated May 20 addressed to all states and union territories, clarified that the schools mentioned in Section 2(n)(iv) of the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009, would not be covered by these Guidelines, provided they have not received any kind of aid or grants from the appropriate government or local authority to meet their expenses,” the statement mentioned.
The ministry, however, encouraged private unaided schools to establish SMCs voluntarily to promote stakeholder participation and strengthen school governance.
This clarification comes amidst ongoing debates about the role of private schools in India's education system. The SMC Guidelines aim to enhance transparency and accountability, but private school bodies had expressed concerns about regulatory overreach. The ministry's decision to exempt private unaided schools from mandatory compliance while encouraging voluntary adoption seeks to balance regulatory objectives with institutional autonomy.
Education experts have welcomed the clarification, noting that it respects the legal framework of the RTE Act while promoting the spirit of community participation. The move is expected to reduce friction between private school associations and the government, fostering a more collaborative approach to educational governance.
