Chennai,  The Tamil Nadu school education department has directed the schools to conduct School Management Committee (SMC) meetings on October 28.

The SMCs were constituted as part of the 'Naam Palli Naam Perumai' programme of the state government.

Each SMC, according to the Right to Education (RTE) Act, will have 20 members of which 15 are to be parents or guardians of the school children and more than 50 per cent should be women. There will be elected representatives of the respective local bodies, children and teachers other than parents or guardians in each school management committee.

The SMCs envisage that there must be the representatives of parents or guardians of children from the disadvantaged groups. The previous SMC meeting was held in Tamil Nadu in March.

The meetings, according to the school education department, have to be conducted between 3 to 4.30 pm. The department has directed the SMCs to be active in increasing the admission to government schools, and improve learning and teaching activities. The SMCs are also directed to try and bring back those students who have dropped out of classes.

The school education department of Tamil Nadu in a circular called upon the schools to update and monitor the app for parents, 'TNSED Parents'.

The SMCs chairpersons and other members are also directed to ensure the health condition of students and conduct periodic health checkups of these students. The performance of the students in the quarterly examination has also to be monitored by the SMCs.

The school education department has also directed the SMCs in schools linked to the Grama Panchayats to discuss the resolutions passed in its meeting in the Grama Sabha meeting to be held on November 1 which is the Local Governance Day.

The educational officers at the block and district level will be monitoring the SMC meetings.