Centre scraps 'no-detention' policy for classes 5 and 8 students

New Delhi: Based on the changes in the Right to Education Act made by the Modi government in 2019, the Union government has scrapped the 'no-detention' policy, allowing schools governed by it to fail students in class 5 and 8, according to the rules notified by the Education Ministry on Monday.

The ministry, however, clarified that a child who fails in the two classes will have to be provided 'specialised inputs’ and an opportunity to appear for re-examination within two months from the date of declaration of results.

In case the child appearing in the re-examination is unable to meet the promotion criteria, he or she shall be held back in the 5th or 8th class, as the altered rules prescribe.

"But no child shall be expelled from any school till the completion of elementary education," Sanjay Kumar, secretary, Department of School Education and Literacy, told reporters in New Delhi.

With the notification, the 'no-detention policy' stands scrapped in over 3,000 schools run by the Union government, including Kendriya Vidyalayas, Navaodyala Vidyalayas and Sainik Schools.

The amendments introduced in the RTE Act in 2019 were based on inputs from stakeholders that the policy left students underprepared and was leading to higher failure rates in the class 10 board exam.

The Act was modified to allow both states and the Centre to decide whether to continue with the 'no-detention' policy.

Subsequently, 16 states and Union Territories opted out. Only Haryana and Puducherry have not changed the 'no-detention' policy.

The Manmohan Singh government introduced the policy in 2009 as part of the Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation process, CCE, for elementary schools as against the year-end traditional examination process.