Schoolkids To Now Repeat Classes For Poor Performance: RS Passes Bill Allowing Removal Of No Detention Policy 

The Upper House, Rajya Sabha, passed two bills on 3 January (Thursday) including one to amend the Right to Education Act.

According to Prakash Javadekar, the Union Human Resource Development Minister, 25 states wanted the no-detention policy under the act to be reversed, as it led to a deterioration in quality of education. Several surveys had revealed that a substantial portion of Class 5 students could not solve class 3 level maths problems and read English texts.

The HRD Minister claimed that the bill would give states the power to decide if the no detention rule needs to continue or not. The bill shall also pave the way for recurring examinations for classes 5 to 8 where if the child fails, another opportunity to appear for the examination in two months, as reported by Indian Express.

Senior Communist Party of India (CPI) leader, Daniel Raja, asked for the deferment, and Rashtriya Janata Dal’s (RJD), Manoj Jha, opposed the bill.

Another bill was passed to provide retrospective recognition to central, and state government funded institutes which offered Bachelors of Education (B Ed) and other non-recognised courses under the National Council for Teacher Education Act.