Following Centre’s lead, state scraps ‘no-detention’ policy for classes V, VIII

From the next academic session, the students of classes V and VIII will not be promoted to next class if they fail to clear the exam. With the Centre scrapping the ‘no-detention’ policy for the students of classes V and VIII, the state has also decided to follow suit. “Quality education is the priority of our government and I feel scrapping the no-detention policy is in the larger interest of the students. So, we will implement it from the next academic session,” said Education Minister Rohit Thakur.

Interestingly, the state had opted to do away with the no-detention policy for the students of Class V and Class VIII in 2019 and had even issued detailed instructions to the Department of Education to implement it. Despite the government order, the no-detention policy was not done away with and the students were promoted to the next class regardless of their performance in the exam. “The instructions were issued to the schools as well, but it couldn’t be implemented after the Covid outbreak. However, the Education Minister has asked the department to implement it from the next session, adding that it will be done on priority,” said Ashish Kohli, Director of Elementary Education.

Under the new system, the students of classes V and VIII will get two chances to clear the exam. “In case the students fail to clear the exam, they will get another chance within two months to clear the exam. If they still fail to get the passing marks, they will be detained in the same class,” said Kohli. The Director further said that schools could also detain the students in the same class who had remained absent for a long time. “We will work proactively to implement it from the next session,” he said.

Meanwhile, most teachers feel it’s a welcome step and would do students a lot of good. According to them, a little pressure that would come with the need to clear the exam to get promoted to the next class would prepare the children psychologically to handle failure better in key classes like X and XII. “With no exam or result pressure until Class X, some students do not know how to handle failure. A little pressure, in Class V and Class VIII, would be good for the students,” said Surinder Pundir, an officiating school principal.