Thiruvananthapuram: Students of Class V and VIII will have to clear their annual exams for getting promoted if the Union human resources development (HRD) ministry's plan of reintroducing the detention policy for these classes is implemented in the coming academic year.
This was after several states including Kerala asking the ministry to change the current all-pass system in government and aided schools. The present no-detention policy allows an automatic promotion up to Class 10 without considering the performance in exams.
The ministry is likely to issue a notification soon withdrawing the no-detention rule for Class 5 and 8, sources said. The Right to Education Act (RTE) would have to be amended for the purpose. This was because the no-detention policy was introduced as an incentive for ensuring that every child aged between six and 14 enrols for school education.
Earlier, the general education department of the state had submitted a letter to the HRD ministry saying that the continuous assessment system and no-detention policy was resulting in fall in standards of school education.
There were also complaints that the no detention policy has caused current system. Reports say it has also caused an exodus of students from state stream to other boards.
