Church wants SMC as school’s apex body

SHILLONG, AUG 24: Church leaders’ want the state government’s intervention to ensure that the managing committees constituted by schools run by religious institutions are ‘retained’ as per RTE Act.

Meghalaya Church Leaders Co-ordination Committee on Education (MCLCCE) delegation met Meghalaya’s commissioner  & secretary of education DP Wahlang  and gave the state government’s 14 days’ time to rectify the anomaly.

“We demanded that the state government rectify the anomalies within 14 days by ensuring that the school managing committees set up by religious institutions are retained,” MCLCCE chairman Father RM Majaw told newsmen after the meeting.

He informed that the demand was made in view of the recent notices issued to schools in some districts by the DSEO/SDSEO directing them to constitute the School Managing Committee (SMC) according to the RTE Act.

Quoting Rule 2 (6) of the Meghalaya Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (Amendment) Rules 2014, Father Majaw said, “All schools run by the religious organizations in Meghalaya irrespective of the different structures or aids given by the central or state governments whether the ones with opening permissions or yet to receive permission should not fall in the Amendment of Rule 2 (6).”

He further informed that Wahlang assured them that they will be having both the school managing committee as well as the school management committee.

“The school management committee is only to advise us with regard to the functioning of the school” Wahlang reportedly told the delegation.

“We were assured that the education department would soon write to all DSEO/SDSEO that the School Managing committee should remain as the highest body in running of schools in the state,” Father Majaw informed.- By Our Reporter