Responsibilities of Schools

Norms and Standards to be followed by schools

The right to education law prescribes that the Pupil-Teacher Ratio should be maintained at 30:1 for first class to fifth class and 35:1 for sixth class to eighth class.¹ It also provides that there should be²:

• At least one classroom for every teacher
• Separate toilets for boys and girls
• Barrier-free access
• A playground
• Safe and adequate drinking water facility for the children
• A kitchen where mid-day meals can be cooked in the school A library in each school provides newspapers, magazines and books on all subjects, including story-books.³
• A teacher also needs to have a minimum of 45 working hours per week including preparation hours.⁴

Creation of a School Management Committee

All schools run by the government or substantially aided by it are mandated to form a School Management Committee (SMC). The SMC comprises the elected representatives of the local authority and the parents, with ¾ of the committee composed of parents of the children, admitted in school. The SMC is devised to monitor the working of the school, prepare development plans for the school, monitor utilisation of grants for the school etc. However, the SMC for minority schools and aided schools shall perform advisory functions only. The SMC is vested with the responsibility of devising a School Development Plan, which will be the basis for plans and grants made by the respective State Government or local authorities.⁵

Provide meals to the children

The law provides that all students between the ages of six to fourteen years who enrol and attend the school studying between I to VIII classes shall be entitled to nutritious meals at no cost.⁶ The funds for such meals shall be provided by the state government. However, implementation of the scheme and monitoring of the quality and preparation of the meal is overseen by the School Management Committee.⁷ These meals should be provided on all days except school holidays and should be served at school.⁸

1. Schedule I, Item 1, The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009. [↩]
2. Schedule I, Item 2, The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009. [↩]
3. Schedule I, Item 6, The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009. [↩]
4. Schedule I, Item 4, The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009. [↩]
5. Section 21 and 22, The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009. [↩]
6. Rule 7, Mid Day Meal Rules, 2015. [↩]
7. Rule 3, Mid Day Meal Rules, 2015. [↩]
8. Rule 4, Mid Day Meal Rules, 2015. [↩]