Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar on Saturday said the Centre
will soon introduce a
detention policy for students in Classes 5 and 8 with support from States.
"In a proposed bill to be passed in Parliament, power has been given to the States to have examinations for students at fifth and eighth standards in March. If they (students) fail, they will be given one last chance to appear in an examination in May," he said.
If a student fails in both attempts, he/she would be detained, Javadekar said adding 25 States have already given consent to the move.
"We decided jointly in a meet attended by all (State) education Ministers that we can't allow students to go to the class 9 without qualifying in the exams in Classes 5 and 8.
We will grant States the power to retain students," he said at
an Indian Chamber of Commerce discussion
titled 'Way forward For Education Sector In Eastern Region,' here.
The past policy to have no detention from class 1 to class 8 has only affected the students, the Union Minister said.
"The purpose then was to take everybody along ... As there was no examination many Government schools in the country that became virtual mid-day meal schools where students would only come to have the meal and leave thereafter.