Raising concern about the no-detention policy and it’s impact on quality education, the government has reportedly decided to write to the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) to review the Right to Education (RTE) Act implementation in the state of Goa with respect to the no-detention policy implemented up to class VIII and instead introduce the earlier examination model (Herald March 27). This is a step in the right direction as the no-detention policy has brought down the level of education in the state.
It must be said that examination is an important tool to make the students take their studies seriously as the fear of being detained in the same class will always be there. If the student finds that he/she cannot be detained in the same class then there is every possibility that the student will neglect his/her studies which will lead to a fall in the standard of education in the state. Many may not even answer the examinations. This can even lead to children going astray and could even result in increase in the number of drop-outs.
Taking examinations seriously is essential as this will prepare and train the students to answer the exams when they reach the higher classes and when they answer the Board examination. It must also be said that the no-detention policy can lead to more students finding it difficult to pass through at the higher classes from XI standard onwards and this may even show in the results of the Board exams.
We need to impart quality education and if a student is not fit enough to go to the next class then it is necessary that he/she be detained in the same class. If there is concern that the students may lose a scholastic year as a result of the detention in the same class then the policy of “Allowed-To-Keep-Terms” (ATKT) could be introduced as is followed at the college level. By this policy if a student fails in a few subjects he/she is not detained but allowed to answer the exams in the subjects in which he/she failed while at the same time the student is promoted to the next class. This will in some way introduce both the advantages of the “no-detention policy” and the importance of the examination.
