Learning outcomes to be part of RTE Act: Javadekar

'Learning outcomes' will become a part of the Right to Education Act before March next year towards assessing reading and learning abilities of students in the absence of detention policy, Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar today said.
Javadekar said the inclusion of this provision will help bring in more "accountability" among students and teachers. The parameters have already been defined, he said.
Speaking at the 'Agenda Aajtak' event here, Javadekar said the decision to do away with class 10 Board exams in CBSE schools was wrong. It was being reintroduced from the 2017-18 session, he said.
Javadekar said soon it will be left to the states whether or not to conduct exams in class 5 and 8, albeit with two conditions that no exams shall be conducted till class 4 and that students who fail be provided to take supplementary tests to avoid a year's loss.

"Learning outcomes were to be defined as per the RTE Act but it was never done. We have defined it and have also shared it with the states. It will be finalised in a month and will become a part of the law before March," Javadekar said.
Stressing that the Centre considers education to be a "national and not a political agenda", Javadekar said 20 new world class universities will be set up as part of the larger roadmap to retain bright students in the country, adding that funds amassed during demonetisation will aid the process.

He urged Parliamentarians to realise that "letting go" of an institute after funding it was a wise thing to do, instead of trying to retain control over it.

"We are in favour of providing full autonomy to deemed universities and state private universities. In that regard, the best performing ones will be granted 90 per cent autonomy. The higher the ranking, the more will be the autonomy," he said.
Javadekar said phasing out of Rs 500 notes have helped tackle stone pelting in Kashmir and went on to link it with the high turnout in board exams in the Valley.
"People were provoked to speak against demonetisation but no one reacted. The country is indeed changing," he said.