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Tamil Nadu will continue its policy of automatically promoting students upto Class 8 without failing them.
Tamil Nadu will continue its no-detention policy for students up to Class 8.(Image: PTI)
Tamil Nadu will continue its policy of not failing students in classes upto Class 8, School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi said. This decision opposes the central government’s recent rule allowing schools to fail students in Classes 5 and 8 if they don’t pass their exams. The minister called the Centre’s rule a major challenge for children from poor families who want to continue their education smoothly. He assured that Tamil Nadu will stick to its current system of automatically promoting students in these classes.
The Centre’s decision to let schools hold back students in Classes 5 and 8 if they fail their exams is a major obstacle for children from poor families seeking uninterrupted education, said the minister, calling it “regrettable.” The Minister assured that Tamil Nadu will stick to its current system of automatically promoting students in these classes.
“Tamil Nadu has not adopted the National Education Policy (NEP) and is in the process of drafting its own State Education Policy. The Union Government’s new rule on detaining students will only apply to central government-run schools in Tamil Nadu, not to other schools in the state,” the minister clarified.
“Parents, students, teachers, and educationists need not worry or feel confused about the Union Government’s policy, as Tamil Nadu will continue with its no-detention policy. The state government remains committed to its current system of automatic promotion upto Class 8,” He added.
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Centre Scraps ‘No-Detention Policy’ For Classes 5 And 8
The Centre has ended the ‘no-detention policy’ for Classes 5 and 8, meaning students who fail their year-end exams will have to retake them. If they fail again, they will not be promoted and must repeat the year. However, the Ministry of Education clarified that no child will be expelled before completing elementary education.
The new rule applies to over 3,000 central government-run schools, including Kendriya Vidyalayas, Navodaya Vidyalayas, and Sainik Schools. The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 had previously introduced the ‘no-detention policy,’ ensuring students who failed their exams in Class 5 or 8 were not held back. This policy aimed to prevent discouragement and encourage continued education.
After the 2019 amendment to the Act, states were given the choice to decide whether to continue with this policy.
