LS passes bill to scrap 'no detention' rule for students of classes 5, 8

According to the HRD Minister, it is necessary to rebuild the education system of the country

The Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed a bill to end the 'no detention' policy in schools for students of classes 5 to 8. Talking on The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (Second Amendment) Bill, 2017, Union Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar said that the need was to rebuild the education system of India, and that the presence of 'no detention' policy was leading to a poor education system

What is 'No detention policy'?

The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act or Right to Education Act (RTE) passed in the year 2009 makes education a fundamental right of every child between the ages of 6 to 14 under Article 21A.

The original Act, as stipulated in Chapter II of The Right to Free and Compulsory education, states, "Every child of the age of six to fourteen years shall have a right to free and compulsory education in a neighbourhood school till completion of elementary education."
 

The essence of this policy is primarily to see that children should not be failed and detained up to Class 8.

But key amendments will now enable schools to fail children/students if he/she fails to attain the qualified marks and can even withhold their promotion to the next standard.

As reported by many schools in states and Union Territories, the need to scrap the Act was felt after observing 'poor marks' from the students. The Act now gives discretionary powers to the state whether to continue with 'no detention' policy.

Several politicians also demanded that teachers should be made accountable for what the students learn.