Centre Scraps ‘No Detention’ Policy For Classes 5 and 8
Centre Scraps 'No Detention' Policy For Classes 5 and 8 (Representative Image )
In a significant move, the Centre has done away with the ‘no detention’ policy for Classes 5 and 8, allowing schools to fail students who are unable to clear year-end exams. The Ministry of Education has published a gazette notification, titled “Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (Amendment) Rules, 2024”, which states that students who fail to meet promotion criteria in Classes 5 or 8 can be held back.
The notification emphasizes the need for remedial measures to close learning gaps for students who are held back. Students who fail to meet promotion criteria will be given additional instruction and an opportunity for re-examination within two months. If they fail to clear the re-exam, they will be held back. “At the same time, no student should be expelled from school until Class 8,” said Union School Education Secretary Sanjay Kumar.
The decision to scrap the ‘no detention’ policy was taken after the Ministry found that up to 65 lakh students had not been able to clear Classes 10 and 12 in 2023. The ‘no detention’ policy was introduced in the Right to Education Act, 2009, but it led to high failure rates. “Under the NEP, students who are weak in studies should be paid special attention. We also want the learning outcomes of the students to be better,” added Sanjay Kumar.
The notification will be applicable to over 3,000 schools run by the Central government, including Kendriya Vidyalayas, Navodaya Vidyalayas, and Sainik schools. State governments can decide whether to keep or scrap the ‘no detention’ policy, and currently, 16 States and two Union Territories, including Delhi, detain students who fail in Classes 5 or 8.
