Over 100k students fail Class 9; 50k fail Class 11 in Delhi govt schools

Some 46,622 students in Class 8 and 51,914 in Class 11 did not pass in academic year 2023-24. These students may have the chance to improve their grades within the next two months

In the academic session 2023-24, over 100,000 students of Class 9 in Delhi government schools failed their annual examinations, an increase of nearly 15 per cent compared to the previous year, highlighting significant challenges within the education system.

Similarly, 46,622 students in Class 8 and 51,914 in Class 11 also did not pass. The Delhi Directorate of Education (DDE) provided these statistics in response to a Right to Information (RTI) application filed by a PTI Bhasha correspondent.

The data revealed the following failure rates over recent years:
 

Class 8

2023-24: 46,622 students

Class 9

2023-24: 1,01,331 students

2022-23: 88,409 students

2021-22: 28,531 students

2020-21: 31,540 students

Class 11

2023-24: 51,914 students

2022-23: 54,755 students

2021-22: 7,246 students

2020-21: 2,169 students

End of ‘no-detention’ policy

The ‘no-detention’ policy came under the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009, effective since April 1, 2010, mandated that students up to Class VIII be promoted automatically, without traditional examinations.

The Parliament scrapped the ‘no-detention’ policy in 2019 and Delhi implemented its 2022 promotion policy last year. The latest data coincide with the official end of these changes made in secondary school education.

From the academic year 2023-24, students in classes V and VIII in Delhi can be held back if they fail to secure at least 33 per cent marks in each subject and 25 per cent in mid-term and annual exams.

New promotion policy in Delhi schools

The new promotion policy of the Delhi government stipulates that if students in classes 5-8 fail their annual examinations, they will not be promoted but will have a chance to improve through re-examination within two months.

The report by PTI noted that the new promotion policy aims to provide students with another opportunity to improve their performance but also stresses the importance of achieving the minimum required marks to progress.

To pass the re-examination, students must score at least 25 per cent in each subject. Failing this, they will be categorised as ‘repeaters’ and must stay in the same class for the next session.

Revised assessment criteria

According to the 2022 guidelines, the assessment criteria for students from classes 5 to 8 include various components:

Attendance: 5 marks

Subject enrichment: 5 marks

Project-based activities: 5 marks

Portfolio of co-curricular activities: 5 marks

Multiple assessments: 5 marks

Unit tests: 5 marks

Mid-term exams: 20 marks

Annual exams: 50 marks

The high failure rates raise concerns about the effectiveness of teaching methods and the overall quality of education in Delhi government schools. The end of the ‘no-detention’ policy and the introduction of stricter promotion criteria aim to enhance academic standards but also pose challenges for students and educators.