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The Centre has abolished the ‘no-detention policy’ for classes 5 and 8 in schools under its governance, allowing schools to fail students who do not pass the year-end exams, according to officials. This change follows an amendment to the Right to Education (RTE) Act in 2019, which has already led at least 18 states and Union Territories to drop the policy for these two classes. A recent gazette notification states that if a child fails to meet the promotion criteria after the regular examination, they will be given additional instruction and the opportunity for a re-examination within two months of the results being declared. If the child fails again in the re-examination, they will be held back in the same grade. While the child is held back, the class teacher will provide guidance to both the student and their parents, identifying learning gaps at various stages of assessment and offering specialized input as necessary. However, the government has clarified that no child will be expelled before completing elementary education. The examinations and re-examinations will focus on assessing competencies, promoting holistic development, rather than merely testing memorization or procedural skills. The school head will maintain a list of children held back and will personally monitor the specialized support provided to them. The notification applies to over 3,000 schools managed by the central government, including Kendriya Vidyalayas, Navodaya Vidyalayas, and Sainik Schools. Since education is a state subject, states have the autonomy to decide on this policy. Currently, 16 states and 2 Union Territories, including Delhi, have discontinued the ‘no-detention policy’ for these classes. Haryana and Puducherry have not made a decision yet, while the remaining states and UTs have opted to continue with the policy. The states and UTs that have scrapped the policy 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. Regarding the delay in issuing the notification since the amendment was made in 2019, officials explained that the announcement of the new National Education Policy (NEP) shortly after the amendment led to a delay. The department waited for the recommendations of the National Curriculum Framework (NCF), which were finalized in 2023, before making changes to the RTE rules. With inputs from PTI None
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