Loss of a year in school is a lesser evil, say states & educationists

Enrolment started improving and learning outcomes started deteriorating only after RTE are nothing but myths, said Suman Bhattacharjee, director of research at the ASER

The Lok Sabha amended the Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act (RTE) of 2009 last week to partially roll back the no-detention policy in elementary schools in India. After passage in Rajya Sabha and President’s nod, school children could face detention from Class V and Class VIII if their learning outcomes are not at the commensurate level.

Under the 2009 Act, no child can be detained till completion of Class VIII. While some government officials said that bringing back detention is an easy fix for a complex disease that plagues the overall education ecosystem, some officials and experts suggested