CBSE recognizes the role of Trust/Society/Company running the school in providing ‘healthy learning environment’ and establishing a center of ‘educational excellence’. Essential conditions for affiliation of schools are outlined here —
1. The establishment of the school – the application for affiliation has to be made by an existing school. The school could be set up, in case of private-unaided schools, by a registered non-proprietary society/trust /section 8 company. The schools cannot accept capitation fee or accept donations.
2. Legal Registration or registration under the law – the school that is aspiring for affiliation to CBSE must be run by the society/trust/section 8 company which is legally registered under respective registration acts.
3. School Management Committee – CBSE mandates the formation of a School Management Committee for every school affiliated to the board as stipulated in the Right to Education Act 2009. There are stipulations about who would the SMC members be and what would be the functions of SMC.
The main points regarding the constitution of the SMC are given below
- Head of the school is the member secretary of the SMC
- – The SMC of a private school can have no more than 21 members
- – Two parents of the two separate students of the school and two from the
teaching staff will be in membership - – Two teachers from other school or college will be appointed as members
- – No relative of SMC member will be appointed as the school Principal
- – Not lesser than 50% women will form the SMC.
- – The employment of teachers and the staff is incumbent on the SMC
Guidelines regarding the constitution of the SMC must be strictly adhered to, The School Management committee, besides ensuring the observance of the CBSE affiliation norms will also oversee the finances and provision of school supplies including furniture, science equipment, books for the library, teaching aids, and sports material.
State Government Recognition – any new school has to be recognized by the state or UT. This recognition bestowed by the government’s department of education is also understood to be an effective affiliation to the state board. The process is undertaken as per the stipulations of Right to Education Act 2009. At the time of applying for affiliation, the school shall submit the formal letter of recognition to the CBSE.
No Objection Certificate from the State Government – The applicant schools must apply and acquire from the office of District Education Officer (DEO). DEO’s office becomes a vantage point, it clears the way by stating that the State does not have any objection regarding the school’s affiliation to CBSE. The NOC thus issued remains valid for an indefinite period for CBSE’s purpose even if there is a date put on it. NOC will stand admissible unless it is formally withdrawn by the issuing authority.
Land – The school land must be owned/ leased by the trust /society/company. In the event of the lease, the minimum term of expiration must be 15 years.
The size of the land on which the school building is planned to be constructed must be 8000 square meters (2 acres). The renewed emphasis of CBSE on sports & physical education has increased the importance of playground & sports infrastructure to a degree without precedent. Keeping in view, the differences between the territory, demographics, level of urbanization and density of population, the land requirement has been benchmarked less than 2 Acres.
CBSE bye-laws expressly delineate the land required to establish a CBSE affiliated school in different regions of the country that are situated in the cities (beyond 15 lakh population), metropolitan cities, class X cities, cities within the National Capital Region, state capital cities, hilly areas, North Eastern States, J&K and the Islands of Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep. In these places, land area requirement may vary from half an acre to 2 acres depending upon the category.
It must be noted that the concession made in the minimum land requirement accompany conditions of limiting the enrollments and the number of sections for each grade.
- The physical Infrastructure of the school must also be in accordance of the updated CBSE bye-laws for opening a
- CBSE school. The minimum dimensions for the
- Classroom is 8 x 6 meters (~ 500 sq.ft)
- Computer lab and laboratories is 9 x 6 meters (~ 600 sq.ft)
- Library is 14 x 8 meters (~ 1206 sq. ft)
Website – schools applying for affiliation are required to host a website and maintain it. The website must be exclusively used by the school for important declarations, information or for administrative ends etc.
Documents Needed – the application for affiliation is submitted on-line, accompanying it are the scanned copies of documents. The complete list of the documents that are required at the time of application is listed in our blog post titled documents required while applying for CBSE Affiliation.
The letter of intent-the letter of intent is issued by the CBSE basing it on the completion of conditions and favorable report from the Inspection Committee.