New Delhi: Union law and justice ministry has given the go-ahead to a HRD ministry proposal to restrict the no-detention policy from the present Class VIII to Class V because children are getting indisciplined “as they do not have the fear of failing”.
The HRD ministry can amend section 16 of the Right to Education Act, 2009, as the proposal is based on the recommendation of a sub-committee, the law ministry has said. It said “there seems to be no objection” to amend the law to state that “no child shall be held back in any class or expelled from school till the completion of Class V”.
The existing provision says the no-detention or no-fail policy is applicable till the completion of elementary education (Class VIII). In its December 8 note, the department of legal affairs, law ministry, said, “Appropriate governments (states) may, if they deem necessary, make rules for detaining a child in Classes 6, 7 or 8 provided that an additional chance may be given” (to students to reappear in exams).
States had requested to review no-detention policy
The law ministry’s note pointed out that the HRD ministry reached the conclusion to restrict the no-detention policy examining “various adverse consequences” of the present provision. “Children are becoming indisciplined as they do not have fear of failing and thus affecting the quality of education.”
Several states had requested to review the no-detention policy during the meetings of sub-committee of the Central Advisory Board of Education, which was set up to assess the implementation of Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation in the context of no-detention provision of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act.
