PANJIM: Raising concerns regarding the controversial no-detention policy and its impact on quality education, the State government has written a letter to the Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) to review the Right to Education (RTE) Act, implemented in the State since 2011.
Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar informed the press on Friday that the government has already forwarded a letter to the Union Ministry with a request to review the no-detention policy, implemented up to Class VIII, thereby reintroducing the earlier examination formula.
The decision was taken during the Budget session of the State Assembly. The chief minister had informed the House that Goa along with Education Ministers of various other States had argued that automatic promotion has led to sharp decline in academic excellence.
The RTE Act was introduced when Congress was in power at the Centre in 2009, while it was implemented in Goa in 2011 during the erstwhile Congress regime.
Grievance redressal mechanism: The State Cabinet has decided to set up a grievance redressal mechanism in rural as well as municipal areas, to address complaints of students and parents against the schools under the RTE Act.
Parsekar said that section 32 of the RTE Act provides for redressal of grievances relating to the rights of a child by local authorities.
Cabinet has given its nod for setting up grievance redressal mechanism in rural and municipal areas, which would be headed by Assistant District Educational Inspector at the local level and Deputy Director of Education at the State level.
Most of the complaints over the past year, since the Right to Education Act was notified, relate to corporal punishment, quality of education, no-detention policy, poor infrastructure, especially toilets, and poor quality midday meals.
