Chennai: Tamil Nadu will continue to follow.No arrest policyEducation Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi said on Tuesday till class 8.
“The central government’s move to allow schools to detain students in a single class (class 5 or 8) if they fail to clear the exam has created a major hurdle for children from poor families to be educated up to class 8 without any hindrance.” The minister said.
The central government has amended the Free and Compulsory Education of Children Rules, 2010 to conduct regular examinations and to suspend students in special cases if they fail in classes 5 and 8.
Previously, state governments had the discretion to implement detention policies. While 18 states have opted out of the no-detention policy, an equal number have chosen to retain it.
under the new “Right to Free Compulsory Education Amendment Regulations 2024, “with effect from December 16, regular merit-based examinations will be conducted at the end of every academic year for students of Class 5 and Class 8.
If a student fails to meet the criteria for promotion, they will be given further guidance and re-examination within two months of the declaration of results.
However, students who fail the re-examination will be placed in the same class.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, School Education Secretary Sanjay Kumar said the new rules would help improve learning outcomes with special attention given to students who are not academically strong.
“The Government of India has decided that even after every effort, if detention is necessary, students can be detained. However, no child will be expelled from school till class 8,” he said.
He added, “If a student fails, teachers will instruct them for two months more, and only in exceptional cases will the student be detained. The focus is on increasing learning outcomes.”
The amendments mandate that retained students receive specialized inputs to address their learning gaps. The examination process will be competency based, ensuring holistic development rather than rote learning. (ANI)