A good score, but…

Scrapping 'no detention' in schools is just the beginning

Last week, the Lok Sabha approved an amendment to the Right to Education (RTE) Act, which mandates free and compulsory education for children between six and 14 years. The amendment scrapped the so-called “no detention” policy, which ensured that no student could be held back (or failed) in a class until the end of elementary education (that is Standard 8th). The latest amendment was a significant change since the no detention policy was one of the fundamental pillars of the RTE Act when it came into effect almost a decade ago. The idea behind policy was to curb the sharp