SMCs to help 6,500 migrant kids get quality education

The School Management Committees (SMC) in Gujarat want to provide education for 6,500 migrant children from 680 villages in Gujarat, its members said at their 4th annual convention in Ahmedabad on Saturday. 

More than 400 SMC members, CSR representatives and non-governmental organiations attended the gathering, which was jointly organised by the American India Foundation (AIF) and Tata Chemicals Society for Rural Development (TCSRD).

The objective of the convention was to enable SMC s in the state to share their experiences, success stories and challenges faced in strengthening elementary education, and motivate them to improve school governance in their villages, said an AIF fellow.

During the event, education minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama lauded the efforts to bring SMC members of 10 districts under one platfrom. “As the Minister for Education, it is my responsibility to meet SMC members and provide them required support in reaching out to children across the state and ensure that they not only get good education but also become good citizens.”

Sajit Menon, AIF’s head of programs, said, “This convention takes forward on-ground capacity building of SMCs by facilitating knowledge-sharing and enabling broader discussions. Education is a key focus area for us at AIF and we are committed to strengthening the relationship between schools and parents in communities to enhance learning outcomes for children.”

‘ALTER RTE RULES’

• The members of the SMC presented a memorandum to the Education Minister, suggesting provisions be made in state RTE rules to improve the status of school governance.