The Punjab Education Department has announced the implementation of the amended act by the parliament under the RTE (Right to Education Act) of scrapping the no-detention policy for classes V to VIII. The amendment states that students who fail to pass the exams in the first attempt will be held back for a re-examination.
The State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) has issued a formal notification on March 1, 2019, for the same to district education officers (DEOs) and government school principals in the state.
“The school education department has decided to implement amended RTE Act from the current session itself. All preparations should be made in this regard,” the notification read.
It has been reported that the Earlier since 2016, the Punjab Education Department refused to hold back children under Classes V to VIII, which came under the system of ‘Learning Outcome Evaluation System’ (LOES), according to which the students are graded between ‘A’ to ‘E’, ‘A’ being more than 80% and ‘E’ being less than 33%. According to the system the students were not held back after getting an ‘E’ grade but were bound to attend remedial classes.
Inderjit Singh, director, SCERT and elementary education, said, “We were conducting exams for classes V and VIII under LOES. But now those scoring less than 33 percent will have to appear for a re-examination within two months. Those who will fail the re-exam will be held back. However, as per RTE, no student will be expelled from school till completion of elementary education. Also, we are planning to replace grades with marks. With grades, all scoring less than 33 percent get ‘E’ grade and it is not possible to identify those who scored lowest and need more attention.”
Section 16 of the amended RTE Act, 2009, scrapping the no-detention policy, states: “There shall be a regular examination in the fifth and eighth class at the end of every academic year. If a child fails in the examination, he/she shall be given additional instructions and granted opportunity for re-examination within two months from the date of declaration of result. The appropriate government may allow schools to hold back a child in 5th or 8th class or in both classes… if fails in re-exam provided that appropriate government may decide not to hold back a child in any class till completion of elementary education. No child shall be expelled from school till completion of elementary education.”
SCERT director Singh said, “We will not expel any student till class VIII even if he/she fails but it has been decided to reinstate the detention policy.”
It was noticed by the then 2016 Education Minister Dr. Daljeet Singh Cheema, who initiated ‘Learning Outcome Evaluation System’, after which it was noticed by him that with the implementation of the no-detention policy under RTE Act, the Class X Board results were found to be declining.
Cheema also served as a head of the sub-committee of Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) headed under then MHRD Minister Smriti Irani and was responsible to work out modalities in order to improve the education quality across the country. It came to his notice that the no-detention policy has started to affect the results in a negative way and spoke against the amendment. Since no final decision was announced, after which Punjab implemented LOES announcing that it does not violate the amendment, the examination is held back only to work on weak students without failing or detaining them.