Context:
Centre scraps ‘no detention’ policy for Classes 5, 8
Recent Changes:
- Policy Abolished: The Central Government has abolished the “no-detention” policy for Classes 5 and 8 in schools governed by it, including Kendriya Vidyalayas and Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas.
- The change was formalized through a gazette notification titled “Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (Amendment) Rules, 2024”.
- The amendment allows schools to detain students who fail to meet promotion criteria.
No-Detention Policy:
- Introduced under Section 16 of the Right to Education Act (RTE).
- Key Provisions:
- No child receiving elementary education shall be expelled from school.
- No child shall be retained in any class.
- Objective – To ensure children receive a minimum level of education without the fear of failure, thereby reducing dropout rates.
Key Provisions Under Amended Rules:
- Revised Promotion Criteria: Exams and re-exams will assess holistic development, focusing on learning rather than rote memorization.
- Additional Instruction: Students failing in annual exams will receive 2 months of additional instruction and a re-exam opportunity to address learning gaps.
- Retention: Students failing after re-exams will be retained in the same class.
- Specialized Interventions: Class teachers must guide detained students and their parents, providing targeted interventions. School heads are responsible for monitoring progress and ensuring remedial effectiveness.
Source: TH
Previous Year Question
Consider the following statements:
1. As per the right to education (RTE) Act, to be eligible for appointment as a teacher in a state, a person would be required to possess the minimum qualification laid down by the concerned State Council of Teacher education.
2. As per the RTE Act, for teaching primary classes, a candidate is required to pass a Teacher Eligibility Test conducted in accordance with the National Council of Teacher Education guidelines.
3. In India, more than 90% of teacher education institutions are directly under the State Governments.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
[UPSC Civil Service Exam – 2018 Prelims]
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 3 only
Answer: (b)
Explanation:
Statement 1 is not correct: In 2011, the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) laid down the teacher recruitment norms for all government schools in India irrespective of the State.
Statement 3 is not correct. More than 90% of the teacher education institutions across the country are privately managed.