No-detention policy removal sparks nationwide debate
Removal of No-Detention Policy Sparks Debate Across Society
On December 21, 2024, the Union Ministry of Education recently abolished the no-detention policy for students of fifth and eighth grade in schools run by the Union Government centrally-owned government schools, sparking a nationwide debate over the wisdom of the move.
While the move was roundly criticised by the Tamil Nadu government, which said it would not implement the move in schools in the state, there were some who also supported the measure which marks a major shift from the earlier provision of Section 16 of the Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 (RTE Act), which stated that no child could be held back or expelled until they had completed elementary education. Under the Act, students were automatically promoted to the next grade, regardless of their academic performance.
In December, the Union Government implemented the amended Act requiring students in Grades 5 and 8 to meet specific academic criteria. If they fail regular exams and cannot pass a re-examination within two months, they have to repeat the year.
Although the 2009 RTE Act was amended in 2019 to scrap the no-detention policy, its implementation was delayed by four years to align with the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) and the goals of NEP 2020.
However, the measure has sparked diverse reactions across various sections of society, particularly among those closely connected to India’s education ecosystem.
Teachers, parents remain divided
The change in the policy has attracted criticism and found favour among the teachers as well as parents. Monica Chandok, a retired English teacher from Bal Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya at Trilokpuri in Delhi, with 29 years of experience, has expressed support for the change, emphasising that the no-detention policy made students complacent. As a result, says Chandok, students faced significant repercussions in higher classes due to a weak foundation in learning, which led to struggles later on.
According to her, the decision to scrap the no-detention policy for classes 5 and 8 will improve the standard of education. The fear of not being automatically promoted will motivate children to work harder and take their education more seriously.
But offering another perspective on this decision, Shruti Chandoke, a maths teacher at Rajhans Vidyalaya at Andheri (W) in Mumbai, with 20 years of experience, has pointed out that, due to this amendment, school dropouts will increase, especially among underprivileged sections, as they might not able to get adequate help to further continue with their studies.
“The increase in school dropouts can be a major drawback of this amendment, particularly for underprivileged students who may not receive the necessary support to continue their studies,” Chandoke tells Media India Group.
Parents are also equally divided over the issue. Simmi Bhatia, a tuition teacher with five years of experience and a parent, supports the amendment.
“The amendment is essential for holistic child development and achieving the goal of quality education, as it promotes the relationship of hard work and reward among children at a young age,” Bhatia tells Media India Group.
On the other hand, Charanjeet Kaur, a housewife from Delhi and the mother of a 7th-grade student, believes that while the intent of the rule is commendable, it should not be applied to government schools. She argues that students from underprivileged backgrounds may struggle to cope with academics and receive less support in their studies, making the policy less effective for this segment of society.
“The rule is good if it applies to private schools, as children receive a lot of help from parents, but in government schools it will create problems as students there cannot cope with their studies,” Kaur tells Media India Group.
Dr Vanita Dua, a school psychologist at Sadhu Vaswani International School for Girls in Delhi, is strongly opposed to the removal of the no-detention policy. She emphasises that failing and repeating a class can stigmatise any child, regardless of their age, gender, or social background. This, in turn, may significantly impact a child’s psychological and social development, potentially leading to long-term detrimental effects.
Dr Vanita Dua
“Repeating a class can stigmatise children and harm their psychosocial well-being, with long-term effects on adult behaviour. Instead of altering detention policies, we must enhance teaching methods, improve evaluations, identify learning barriers, and support children effectively. A child-friendly system removes the need for such policies, fostering healthier coping and acceptance from early years onward,” she tells Media India Group.
One of the biggest challenges for education in India is the extremely low investment made in its by the government. In 2023, India spent 2.9 pc of GDP on education, while developed countries like the United States spend 6 pc of GDP on education. Also, countries like Finland, which are believed to have some of the best performing education systems, prioritise continuous assessment and remedial measures over automatic promotion. Instead of traditional exams, the Finnish education system uses diverse assessment methods, allowing teachers to adapt strategies and students to explore topics of interest, tailoring learning to individual needs.
However, experts argue that despite the Gazette of India mandating class teachers to guide children and their parents during holdbacks and provide specialized input after identifying learning gaps, the question remains: Is there enough infrastructure? According to the Ministry of Education, there are over 840,000 teaching vacancies in government schools across India, at both primary and secondary levels. As a result, teachers may not be able to devote sufficient attention to each child.
With low investment and even lower staff-student ratio, policy tweaks like removal of no-detention rule are unlikely to have any impact on the malaise afflicting the Indian education system.
