No Detention Policy for Classes 5 and 8 Has Ended: Will Students of Classes 5,8 Fail Now?

A major change in education policy, the centre has ended the ‘no-detention policy‘ for students of classes 5 and 8 in schools. This change affects over 3,000 schools that were run by the central government, including Kendriya Vidyalayas, Navodaya Vidyalayas, and Sainik Schools. This shift in education policy will enable schools to retain students who are not able to clear or fail their year-end exams.

Previously, at least 18 states and union territories, including Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Delhi, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Jammu and Kashmir, have already terminated their no-detention policy for the two classes by following the amendment to the Right to Education Act (RTE).

The centre’s order to end the no-detention policy means that the students who are not able to pass their annual exams may not be automatically promoted to the next class; rather, they have a chance to improve their performance.

According to the journal notification, if a student fails to fulfil the passing criteria after the conduct of an annual examination, they shall be given an additional opportunity for re-examination within a period of two months from the date of announcement of the results.

If the student appearing in the re-examination fails again, then he shall be held back in the fifth or eighth standard according to the circumstances. However, the student’s teacher will recognize the areas where the student is struggling and offer them additional support.

During the retention period of the student, the class teacher shall guide both the child and the parents if required and provide specialized inputs after recognizing the learning gaps at various stages of assessment. It is important to highlight that no student can be dismissed from school before completing primary education. The exams and re-exams will focus on the understanding and overall development of the student, rather than just memorization, the notification said.