No-fail-till-class-8 policy should be revoked, recommends government panel

JAIPUR: A Centre-appointment panel has recommended revocation of the ' no-detention policy' under which students could not be failed in exams till class VIII as part of the Right to Education.

The panel, led by Rajasthan education minister Vasudev Devnani, held a meeting on Wednesday with education ministers in Delhi to finalise the report. He had sought opinion of 22 of his counterparts, of whom 18 favored revoking the policy.
The panel has sought modifications to the policy and introduction of compulsory state-level exams for classes V and VIII.

"Clearing these exams is mandatory for promotions to the next level. Students who fail to achieve the required learning level will be given one more opportunity. In case they fail to achieve the learning level again, they have to repeat the respective class," said Devnani.

The panel also suggested that the policy should be applicable to classes I to IV, VI and VII, subject to required learning levels. "Students have to achieve the required learning level from classes I to IV, VI and VII," said Devnani.

Those students who fail to achieve the learning level will be marked as unsuccessful in their report cards.

The recommendations come in the backdrop of the Annual Status Education Report 2014, which found that over 50 per cent of class V students in India are unable to read, write and comprehend books of their level.