HRD ministry to reverse no-detention policy for Class 5 and 8
Class 5 and 8 students will now have to clear their exams to get promoted as the HRD ministry is set to bring back the detention policy for these classes
Class 5 and 8 students will now have to clear their exams to get promoted as the HRD ministry is set to bring back the detention policy for these classes.
Currently, a no-detention policy introduced by the UPA government is in place under which students up to Class 8 are not detained by schools across the country. The ministry is likely to issue a notification on this as most states have conveyed they don’t want the no-detention rule for Class 5 and 8, sources said.
A key component of the RTE (Right To Education) Act, the no-detention policy was enforced on April 1, 2010 with the intention of ensuring that every child aged between six and 14 got a school education. Officials said to remove the no-detention clause, the Centre would have to amend the RTE law.
“After obtaining a consensus from the Central Advisory Board of Education, HRD minister Smriti Irani had asked the states to provide their views on the matter. All the states have already sent their written responses which have been studied and soon a notification will be issued,” a senior official said.
Sources said students would get more opportunities to pass exams to avoid unnecessary detention.
“The modalities are being worked out. In some states, students are given a second chance to take the test that determines promotion to the next class. We are exploring that option, too,” a senior ministry official said.
A survey by Pratham, a non-government organisation, found educational standards of students up to the upper primary level in the country’s government schools fell over the past eight years, especially in English and maths.
“The student will get a chance to reappear if he or she fails at the first try but if even in the second attempt they are not able to pass, supplementary classes will have to be provided by schools,” the official said.
