Delhi govt. announces new promotion policy for school students; removes no-detention policy for Classes 5 and 8
The Delhi government on Friday announced a new promotion policy for students, keeping with the 2019 amendment to the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act 2009 (RTE). Under the new assessment guidelines, students of Classes 5 and 8 will not be promoted to the next class if they do not pass the yearly examination. These guidelines will come into effect from the next academic year.
The 2019 amendment in the RTE Act allows States to determine the conditions under which students could be held back from promotion.
“As per SCERT’s new assessment guidelines, if a child is unable to clear exams in class 5 and class 8, then the child will get a chance for re-examination within two months of the declaration of the results to improve their performance record,” the government said. Those who fail to improve their performance in their second attempt will be held back for a year.
According to these new guidelines, the assessment of children’s learning in classes 5 and 8 will include mid-term and annual examinations as well as co-curricular activities.
Deputy Chief Minister said the no-detention policy introduced in the RTE Act, to protect the interest of children, was progressive but was harming the children’s prospects as the education system could not take advantage of the policy.
“To prevent further harm, it has been decided that students of Classes 5 and 8 can now be held back under special circumstances from the next academic year,” Mr. Sisodia said.
He added that the aim of the new assessment guidelines is not to detain any child but to instil the same seriousness towards elementary classes as higher classes.
The government said the new assessment policy will be implemented for Classes 3 to 8, but new guidelines for promotion will only apply to classes 5 and 8.
The deputy CM added that there was a need to prepare a system that lays a strong foundation at the elementary level so that the need of holding a child back from being promoted to the next class does not arise.
“Our aim is not to stop any student from getting promoted to the next class, because a child never fails, it is the system that fails. Through these guidelines, our real aim is to bring the same degree of seriousness in elementary grades as for Classes 10 and 12,” Mr. Sisodia said.
