Cover Story | Dec 24, 2024 | 8 min read
‘No detention’ policy in classes 5, 8 scrapped
The Centre has abolished the ‘no-detention policy’ for classes 5 and 8 in schools under its jurisdiction, allowing them to hold back students who fail to clear year-end examinations, officials have confirmed. Following the 2019 amendment to the Right to Education Act (RTE), at least 18 states and Union Territories, including Gujarat, have already discarded the ‘no-detention policy’ for these two classes.
As per new norms, students who fail to meet promotion criteria will get a chance to sit in the re-exam within two months of the result declaration of annual exams.
“If the child fails to meet the promotion criteria again in the re-examination, they will be held back in Class 5 or Class 8, as applicable,” the notification stated. “During this period, the class teacher must guide both the child and their parents, providing specialised inputs to address identified learning gaps.”
The notification applies to centrally-run schools, including Kendriya Vidyalayas, Navodaya Vidyalayas and Sainik Schools.
Stakeholders’ reactions
Manan Choksi, Executive Director of Udgam School for Children, remarked, “The no-detention policy was introduced with the noble intent of encouraging schools to improve teaching methods. However, its misuse led to a lack of seriousness in studies and increased failure rates in Class 9. This partial detention policy for Classes 5 and 8 is a welcome step.”
Raja Pathak, Director of Sattva Vikas School, echoed this sentiment: “Scrapping the no-detention policy will enhance accountability for both teachers and students, leading to an improved quality of education. It will also help strengthen the learning process.”
States and UTs that have scrapped the no-detention policy, other than Gujarat, include Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Delhi, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Jammu and Kashmir.