Tamil Nadu Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi criticized the Centre’s decision, describing it as a setback for underprivileged students. The Tamil Nadu government has stated that the Union government’s move to abolish the ‘no detention policy’ for students in Classes 5 and 8 will not be implemented in state-run schools.
Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi criticized the Centre’s decision as a stumbling block for underprivileged students, affirming that Tamil Nadu will maintain its current practice of automatic promotions for the specified classes.
According to the Deccan Herald, the minister stated that Tamil Nadu has not adopted the national education policy and is currently working on drafting its own state education policy. As a result, the Union Government’s directive will apply only to centrally run schools within the state.
The policy will not affect any other schools, so parents, students, teachers, and educationists need not worry or feel confused about the Union Government’s decision. The state government has clarified that the existing no-detention policy will remain in place, he assured.
Tamil Nadu has long upheld the no-detention policy to provide students from underprivileged and rural backgrounds with ample opportunities to complete their education.
The Union government has abolished the no-detention policy for Classes 5 and 8 in schools under its jurisdiction, allowing students who fail to pass the year-end exams to be held back, officials confirmed.
Following the 2019 amendment to the Right to Education (RTE) Act, at least 18 states and union territories have already discontinued the no-detention policy for these two classes.
As per a gazette notification, students who fail to meet the promotion criteria after the regular examination will be provided with additional instruction and a chance to reappear for a re-examination within two months of the result declaration.
Children who do not meet the promotion criteria even after a re-examination will remain in either Class 5 or Class 8, depending on their grade.
The notification states that during this time, the class teacher must offer targeted support to address the particular learning gaps found during evaluations and, if needed, offer guidance to the child and their parents.
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The government has also clarified that no child will be removed from school before completing their elementary education.
