Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan Launches School Management Committee Guidelines 2026; Focus On Mental Health And Inclusivity

· Free Press Journal

New Delhi: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Wednesday launched the School Management Committee (SMC) Guidelines 2026 at Vigyan Bhawan, describing them as a major step towards strengthening community participation and improving governance in schools across the country.

Visit aportal.club for more information.

The launch event was attended by Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood, Chhattisgarh School Education Minister Gajender Yadav, Department of School Education and Literacy Secretary Sanjay Kumar, and several senior officials from the education sector.

Focus on community participation in schools

Speaking at the event, Pradhan said the new guidelines are aimed at turning School Management Committees into an active bridge between schools, parents, teachers and local communities. He noted that the framework would help bring the vision of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 into practice across nearly 15 lakh schools in India.

According to the minister, the government wants SMCs to move beyond administrative roles and become a strong support system for the overall development of children. He stressed that issues such as mental health, well-being, support for Children With Special Needs (CWSN), and community mentoring must become part of the larger conversation around education.

Pradhan also said that initiatives like Vidyanjali have already shown how public participation can positively impact schools. He added that India’s education system has historically benefited from community involvement, and the new guidelines seek to revive that culture.

Direct link to check the SMC guidelines

‘Education reform must reach classrooms’

Addressing the gathering, Ashish Sood said the launch of the guidelines represents a deeper transformation taking place in India’s education system rather than just another administrative reform.

He remarked that India’s journey towards becoming a developed nation by 2047 would depend heavily on the strength of its classrooms and school systems. Sood explained that the earlier SMC structure, introduced after the Right to Education Act, mainly focused on grants, infrastructure and monitoring work.

However, he said today’s education system faces newer challenges including child safety, foundational literacy and numeracy, mental health concerns, digital transparency and learning outcomes. The 2026 guidelines, he added, are designed keeping these evolving priorities in mind.

He further stated that School Management Committees will now function as “school community governing institutions” with a wider role in ensuring academic quality, student welfare, inclusivity, transparency and safety in schools.

States join discussions virtually

Chhattisgarh minister Gajender Yadav said active participation from society and parents is essential for improving learning outcomes among children. He added that the guidelines would help reduce the gap between schools and families by encouraging greater involvement of local guardians in school functioning.

Several state education ministers also joined the programme virtually, including representatives from Haryana, Maharashtra, Mizoram, Tripura, Uttarakhand and Nagaland.

Direct link to check the SMC guidelines

Read full story at source