Scrapping of no-detention policy to create ‘positive pressure’ on students

Scrapping of no-detention policy to create ‘positive pressure’ on students 

It will help build support systems for those lagging in classrooms and improve learning  outcome 

Priyadarshini.Gupta@timesofindia.com 30.12.2024

The Centre has decided to end the No-Detention Policy (NDP) for students in classes V and VIII in government, CBSE schools from the academic session 2024-25. This will end the practice of automatically promoting the students who failed their year-end exams. According to a gazette notification, after the conduct of regular examinations, children who do not meet the promotion criteria will get a chance to retake the exams within two months of the result declaration. The decision is supposed to affect over 3,000 central schools. The NDP was introduced in 2009 under the Right to Education (RTE) Act, which aimed to provide free and compulsory education to every child in the country up to class VIII. 

The primary goal of the policy was to prevent students from being held back due to poor academic performance as this was seen as a major factor contributing to school dropouts. Experts feel that the decision would prove beneficial as the provision of NDP left students ill-prepared for board exams and contributed to higher failure rates. While the revised system will provide supplementary opportunities to those who fail, it will address significant learning gaps that have developed over the years,. Basic knowledge Sanyam Bhardwaj, controller of examinations, CBSE, highlighted the need to handhold the students who perform poorly in school. “The move will bring increased accountability among all stakeholders, including students, teachers, schools, and parents. The policy will prevent complacency among students and parents assuming automatic promotion regardless of any effort. Due to the NDP, several students were not studying properly, which led them to reach the higher classes without the necessary knowledge. This made it challenging for them to cope,” he says. “The revised policy will introduce positive pressure, encouraging students and parents to take academics more seriously. Meanwhile, the weak students will not be left behind as the system pro vides supplementary opportunities for students who fail to meet the required stan dards. This is a motivating step, enabling students to address gaps in their learning and prepare well for the next exam,” he adds. The role of teachers in supporting academically weaker students will be crucial in secondary school. Bhardwaj says, “There is no need for extra classes; diligent efforts by both students and teachers during regular school hours are sufficient. 

Securing 33% marks is not a big task and is an achievable target. Anyone failing to meet this mark reflects a lack of effort from all the parties involved.” Addressing concerns about potential increases in dropout rates, he says that government support systems such as midday meal schemes, ensure that students, especially from marginalised backgrounds, are encouraged to continue their education. On the other hand, the scrapping of NDP may foster a growing coaching culture and give schoolteachers leverage to exploit vulnerable families. While Bhardwaj is of the opinion that the recent decision may not promote coaching culture, Aruna P Bhalla, former deputy commis sioner, KVS, Mumbai region, says, “In several schools, children from disadvantaged families are often forced into taking tuitions. There have been instances where teachers pressure students to take tuition or else they threaten to fail them. 

This may leave families financially strained. With the scrapping of the retention policy, tuition teachers are likely to demand even higher fees, further disadvantaging children from families unable to afford private tuitions.”