PANJIM: Raising concerns about the no-detention policy and its impact on quality of education, the Government on Thursday said that it would write to the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) to review the Right to Education (RTE) Act implemented in the State of Goa from 2011.
Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar, who holds the Education portfolio, told the Legislative Assembly that feelings of the House, parents and students would be raised before the HRD Minister, with a demand to review the no-detention policy, implemented up to class VIII, and instead introduce the earlier examination model.
“In the next two days, I will write to the Union HRD Minister requesting to review the RTE, especially the no-detention policy, in view of falling educational standard,” Parsekar assured the House while replying to the ‘motion of thanks’ to the Governor’s address.
The Opposition had moved a cut motion to the Governor’s address delivered on Monday, over failure of the government to take necessary steps in regards to no-detention policy having its impact on quality of education.
Admitting that quality of education was impacted, the Chief Minister informed the House, Thursday, that during a recent meeting held in New Delhi over consultations on the new national education policy, education ministers from various States argued that automatic promotion had led to a situation where there’s a sharp decline in academics. “I too stand by their views,” he said.
Parsekar said that the RTE Act was introduced during the then Congress-led UPA government in 2009, while it was implemented in Goa in 2009 during the erstwhile Congress regime.
Replying to the various cut motions moved by the Opposition, the Chief Minister gave defensive answers including on the contentious Regional Plan 2021 which he said would be finalized soon, while refusing to give any specific deadline for the same.
“The Government has also done illegal hill cutting and filling of low-lying areas a cognizable offence and accordingly the action would be taken,” Parsekar said.
The chief minister also assured the House that by May, the Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) and two State Information Commissioners (SIC) would be appointed. He also announced to complete the South Goa district hospital by the next financial year and also to begin the construction of Zuari Bridge in the next three to four months.
