Tamil Nadu will continue to follow no-detention policy, says Minister

Tamil Nadu will continue to follow the 'no-detention policy' up to class 8, School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi said on Monday. The Centre's move to allow schools to detain students in the same class (class 5 or 8) if they fail to clear exams has created a big stumbling block for children from poor families in getting educated without any hassles up to class 8 and this was "regrettable", he said.
The union government has scrapped the 'no-detention policy' for classes 5 and 8 in schools governed by it allowing them to fail students who do not clear the year-end exams, according to officials.The Minister said that Tamil Nadu does not follow the National Education Policy and the Centre's decision will not affect schools in Tamil Nadu, other than those that fall under the union government's ambit.There need not be any confusion and Tamil Nadu will continue to the present system, he underscored.
Following the amendment to the Right to Education Act (RTE) in 2019, at least 16 states and two Union Territories have already done away with the 'no-detention policy' for the two classes."Since school education is a state subject, states can make their decision in this regard. Already 16 states and 2 UTs including Delhi have done away with the no-detention policy for these two classes," a senior official said. "Haryana and Puducherry have not made any decision yet while remaining states and UTs have decided to continue with the policy," he added.