LS seeks removal of 'no-detention-policy': Students can fail Class-5, 8
The Lok Sabha today passed a bill seeking removal of schools' 'no detention policy' for Classes 5 and 8. Now states can detain students in these classes if they don't perform well in the annual exam. Earlier laws prohibited students from being held back before completion of elementary education. This had an adverse impact on learning outcomes: Class-10 students were faring worse than Class-3 kids.
About the no-detention policy
The no-detention policy, a key feature of the 2010 Right to Education Act, allowed automatic promotion of students till Class-8, irrespective of performance in exams. As a result, more students were being held back in higher classes, especially in Class-11, as schools screened them before Class 12. The Cabinet scrapped the policy in August'17 after much protest; only six states batted in its favor.
Here's what the 2018 NAS found
Due to this policy, students were uninterested in doing well, and teachers, in focusing on results. As a result, for 64% of Class-3 students across state, CBSE and ICSE boards answering a math question correctly, the score for Class-10 students fell below 40% for all boards barring AP. The figure showed a declining trend: from 64%, it dropped to 54% in Class-5 and 42% in Class-8.
Performance in English was similar, but Indian languages were better
Outcomes were similar for English. While 67% Class-3 students gave correct answers, only 58% Class-5 and 56% Class-8 students did so. For Class-10, no state barring Manipur crossed 42%. Only in modern Indian languages did as many as 19 states and UTs cross 50%.
What does this mean for schools and students?
After the Cabinet scrapped it, states could choose to conduct examinations for Classes 5 and 8. If students fail, they will be given another opportunity. In the meantime, remedial classes should be provided. If they fail again, they will be detained. However, it will be up to the states to decide whether they wish to continue with the policy, HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar said.
Javadekar announces the news on Twitter
Most parties support move, but some had words of caution
Most parties' MPs came out in support of today's move, including Arvind Sawant of Shiv Sena, Saugat Roy of TMC, Supriya Sule of NCP, Prem Singh Chandumajra of SAD and Sanjay Jaiswal of BJP. However, Congress' KC Venugopal and BJD's Bhartruhari Mahtab had a word of caution. The proposed legislation lacks "clarity" on who will conduct the exams, Venugopal said. Mahtab expressed similar apprehensions.
