New Delhi: Delhi’s Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Thursday backed the Centre’s decision to scrap ‘No Detention Policy’, which was part of the Right To Education Act, 2010, saying that the move was very much needed.
In a letter to Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar, Sisodia, who also hold the education portfolio, acknowledged the decision as an “emergency measure” needed to end the current crisis in education in the country.
“This decision is needed as an emergency measure to end the current crisis in education across the country, where academic standards of schools are rapidly deteriorating,” Sisodia wrote.
“The Delhi assembly has also passed a Bill for the rollback of the ‘No-Detention Policy’. We hope to hear from you regarding the details of the implementation, so that academic session does not get affected,” he added.
The current provision under the RTE Act allows the failing students to be promoted to the next class up to Class 8.
The decision to scrap the said policy was taken on Wednesday by the Union Cabinet. The move will be enabled by inserting the provision in the Right of Children for Free and Compulsory Education (Amendment) Bill.
The Bill will now be tabled in Parliament for approval.
The Delhi Deputy Chief Minister said that it was unfortunate having had to rollback the provision which was meant to be a “progressive education reform”.
He said the move was implemented without any preparation, including change in curriculum and training teachers, among others.
“I think it is time to move beyond stop-gap arrangements and fundamentally re-think what we teach, how we teach… Otherwise we are letting down millions of children who put their faith in the government system and come and study in our schools,” Sisodia said in his letter.
—-IANS