A notification has been issued on 4th April 2022 in connection with School Council in Private Educational Institutions/Schools by The Government of the Punjab, School Education Department.Further detail of said notification in same is as under;
School Council in Private Educational Institutions/Schools in Punjab
NO.SO (A-1) 3-4/2015 (P-III) Pursuant to the direction of Honorable Lahore High Court Lahore in writ petition no. 105643-2017 regarding the constitution of School Council in Private Educational Institutions/Schools in Punjab and in supersession of this department’s letter of even no. dated 3004-2019, the following guidelines are hereby notified:
School Council will consist of 07 (seven) members.
There will be four categories of the School Council Members as mentioned below:
- Chairperson/ Principal / In-charge of the Educational Institution (1)
- Teacher members (amongst the teachers through selection/election) (2)
- Parent members, Father/Mother/Guardian of the child (3)
- General members (To be nominated by the Registering Authority) (1)
Total: (7)
SECRETARY:
One member shall be nominated as Secretary with the consent of majority of the members.
SELECTION / ELECTION OF MEMBERS
- The school administration will provide all assistance in the process of selection/ election of the parent / teacher members for the council.
- The election process of parents / teachers shall be conducted by an officer not below the rank of BS-16 to be nominated by the Registering Authority.
- To hold the election process in a transparent manner, the nominated officer may associate one person from parent and another from teacher.
PARENT MEMBERS
- Parent member(s)shall mean the parents whose children are studying in the school. Mothers shall be preferred in girl’s school as parent member.
- In the case of Higher Secondary School, at least one member from the Primary portion of the school shall be included in the School Council.
- The parent’s members shall be selected through a hybrid procedure, a transparent box shall be placed in an Annual General Meeting, to be convened for this purpose. Each parent desirous of becoming a member of the Council shall himself fill his name with necessary information on a form to be provided by the school and after filling, the parent shall put the form in the transparent box. Where aster, in the same meeting, the principal shall call any parent, not an aspirant, who would pick three forms and announce the names. The Names so announced shall be notified as representative of the parents in the Council.
TEACHER MEMBERS
- Will be selected by the teachers through unanimous endorsement. OR
- Will be elected amongst the teachers through secret balloting.
SELECTION OF GENERAL MEMBER
General member shall mean an educationist / professional preferably from the same locality who desires to serve the school for its betterment.
TENURE OF THE SCHOOL COUNCIL
Tenure of school council will be maximum for 2 years.
REPLACEMENT OF MEMBERS
School council member(s) can be replaced in case of: –
- Change of school if his /her son/daughter gets admission in any other school
- Resignation of a member
- Death of a member
TERMINATION OF MEMBERSHIP
The membership of the school council (except that of the chairperson) may be terminated by adopting the following procedure:
- Recommendation for termination of membership of any School Council member may be made by 2/3rd majority of the members with reasons in writing to the Registering Authority.
- The Registering Authority upon receiving such a recommendation after affording of opportunity of hearing to the member concerned and then pass a speaking order within 15 days from the receipt of the recommendation.
- The member whose membership is terminated will not be eligible to be selected / elected for the next term.
PROCEDURE OF THE MEETING OF SCHOOL COUNCIL
- A meeting of the School Council shall be called on monthly basis, whereas meeting of the school council during summer vacation shall be optional.
- It will be the responsibility of the Chairperson to conduct the meetings in every month.
- The Secretary will intimate the members about the schedule / venue / agenda of the meeting
- Presence of Chairperson / Principal / Incharge will be mandatory in all meetings.
- Quorum of the school council will be live members. At least two parent members must attend the meeting.
- If quorum is not met then the meeting will be adjourned and the schedule of the next meeting will be informed by Secretary School Council.
- A Transparent Complaint Box shall be available at an open place near Office, which shall be opened in the Council’s meeting and numbered accordingly. All complaints by the parents shall be placed before the Council and the Council by majority shall decide upon the complaints which shall be recommendatory. While considering complaints, the complaining parent be provided opportunity of being heard by the Council.
- No members will abstain from voting on any decision in a meeting of the School Council.
- In case there is no majority decision on any issue, the 7th member (in case of absence) shall be asked by the Secretary to vote on the agenda item(s).
- If there is a need of any special meeting of the School Council then application will be submitted to the Secretary duly signed by at least two members and such meetings will be conducted within seven days.
- The minutes of the meeting shall be presented for confirmation in the next meeting.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF SCHOOL COUNCIL
It will include the following:
- To raise awareness regarding any directions issued by the Government of the Punjab/Registering Authority from time to time.
- To process any sort of general complaint from students, parents, teachers, management or from any aggrieved person.
- To take steps and measures to safeguard the rights of students to eliminate the practice of corporal punishment.
- To advise the quality and rate of food & drinks being served in the school tuck shop and quality of stationery and uniform etc. sold at the school shop.
- Any matters in the nature of extra-curricular activities, games, field trips etc. shall be placed before the Council and the School Council’s recommendations shall be given weightage by the School Incharge/ regulator. Any decision by the School Incharge which is contrary to the recommendations of the school council on such issues shall be reduced into writing and placed before the School Council at the next meeting of the Council.” It is clarified here for the purposes of this clause that the issue regarding yearly school fee is clearly separate and falls outside the ambit of this clause.
- To suggest measures regarding the provision of medical 1s’ aid in the schools where needed.
- To suggest measures regarding the physical education / sports activities in the school.
- To suggest measures regarding hygienic environment in the school premises (particularly in class rooms)
- It may obtain academic data regarding performance of the school periodically.
- To suggest measures to eradicate the menace of drugs in schools.
MONITORING OF SCHOOL COUNCIL:
The registering Authority can evaluate the performance of School Council by itself or through the authorized person / committee.
If any complaint arises in connection with performance of the School Council, the same may be brought into the notice of registering authority in writing.
The registering authority may hold an enquiry by an officer or committee who will submit its report within 15 days, thereafter the registering authority after providing an opportunity of hearing will pass an appropriate order including the (dissolution of council) within 15 days.
In case of termination of notification of the School Council by the Registering Authority the School Council will be re-constituted within 30 days.
ACCESS TO SCHOOL RECORD ETC.
- The School Council may ask and examine any / all school records during their proceedings of a particular case.
- Notwithstanding anything contained in clause 5, the school council may obtain the record of the students, subject to consent of the parents concerned.
- students, subject to consent of the parents concerned.
