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| 'NO DETENTION' POLICY IN EDUCATION SYSTEM OF INDIA | | | D.K.Kotwal | 10/11/2015 11:38:18 PM |
| These days the intellectuals, educationists, politicos and national press are involved in discussing the reports on the erupted controversy whether to continue with the enlightened and progressive present system of' No Detention' Policy of Education or go back to old beaten track, an authoritarian system of pass- fail binary. The central government is treading sagaciously and cautiously and will take any final decision on the receipt of written responses from all the states of the country, albeit maximum Indian state governments are against the continuation of 'No Detention' policy of Education. According to news reports, educationists say," Just by failing students you cannot make them good learners". Majority of the teachers are very critical about 'No Detention' and 'No Punishment' factors of enlightened and progressive system of education and firmly hold them responsible for low standard of education and indiscipline among the students. " The educational institutes of the nation are grappling with the present system of education that is responsible for the failing of students in class XI and having a very low standard of teaching learning process being carried out especially in rural government institutes of the country", Said an eminent educationist-----Sh R L Rao(Retd. CEO).
However if we want to understand the education worth of 'No Detention 'policy of education, we will have to understand the three ideas promoted by the RTE simultaneously. They are admission in age appropriate class (AAAC), continuous and comprehensive evaluation (CCE) and no detention policy. The classroom is confined to the students interest and likings based on activities. The concepts about learning become clear without putting pressure; the teaching learning conditions are such that learning automatically transfers into the minds of the young ones without the concept of examination phobia.
There is a CCE system and the students scholastic and co-scholastic progress is continuously monitored and assessed. It is assured that interaction and collaboration with children of similar age will help them in this progressive meaning making. Similarly children progress with varied speeds and not necessarily through the same conceptual routes, therefore one periodic exam on some fixed questions is obsolete and unnecessary. Since the children progress at their own pace that is necessary for conceptual clarity. There is no point in Paul-Fait Theory.
The very policy of education that is thought to be progressive and enlightened is prevalent in western countries came into India in the form of 'child centred' education. The ideas and philosophy of 'No Detention" policy is quite attractive and acceptable presented on papers but its implementation in Indian conditions is if not elusive but surely doubtful. If we go back to its implementation in India it is not being done in the true spirit of it .If we accept the assumption underlying AAAC, CCE and NDP then the formulation of curriculum and school structure will need fundamental changes. The curriculum and syllabi will have to assume learning continuum rather than a learning ladder. The child has to follow its individual path rather than a fixed one for all. The knowledge, skills may be organised sequentially but no year wise rigid packaging can be admitted but unfortunately it is not being done in schools in any states of India, here the year wise package is organised and the child does not move up at his pace and speed and further the miseries are compounded that the child is promoted to the next class without knowing even learning at his own speed, how much he has learnt or not and in the next class he is encountering new knowledge, skills and values rather CCE and basic concepts of the non detention policy is absolutely lacking. In reality the 'No Detention' policy rather RTE is not being implemented properly. I as an educationist and closely related with the system say that in reality old system with only no student is failed is in vogue. These days whereas there must have been no year wise curriculum and the child should have been allowed to move at his own speed. But it becomes necessary that when student moves from 8th class to 9th class rather from "No Detention' to 'Detention policy' it is to be made sure that upto the 9th class, the knowledge, skills, and values organised in the curriculum have been learnt by the children but in actual practice this is not being done. The other factor that is marring the well thought out policy of education is the ill trained teaching personnel. It has been observed in the past few years ,that the number of repeating students in class ninth is on the increase .For instance in Delhi ,the number of failing students as a percentage of total students enrolled in class ninth rose from2.8% in 2010 to a startling 13.4% in 2014 as per DISE DATA and in Chandigarh 27% of class ninth students studying in government schools have failed their exams this year. What is cause of it? Major section of society believes that it is because of 'No Detention' policy of education brought under the RTE that ensures that no student can be failed before 9TH.
The central board for education (CABE) is likely to have its meeting soon and one of the agenda point for discussion will be 'No Detention policy of education prevalent in the education system of India .It is worthwhile to mention here that deteriorating standard of education in all the schools across the country is because of the controversial no detention policy of education. Many Education ministers, students and teachers have said that the policy should be reviewed, if not removed all together. On Sept.16,2015 the country's premier advisory body on education's meeting on 'No Detention' policy of education and unanimously came to the conclusion that the present system of education be revoked in the larger interest of the country . The CABE in a day long meeting chaired by HRD minister Smiriti Irani in which 19 education ministers, officials from 29 states and heads of autonomous bodies besides nominated CBSE members who include distinguished people from different disciplines participated, unanimously resolved for re---introduction of classes promotions in keeping with the recommendations of CABE Sub committee report contending that no detention policy had adversely affected leaning outcome. However, HRD minister Smriti Irani struck a cautious note saying,'' Her ministry will take a comprehensive view only after receiving the formal writings from the states. All the education ministers unanimously appealed to revoke it[the policy. But all should give us in writing within 15 days to a month, any speculations right now will only give rise to confusion among students ."
Decision if taken, for implementation , could take its own course to be put in place as parliament would then have to amend the Right to Free Education and Compulsory Act. Irani replied in affirmative when asked if class 10 Board exams would be brought back if the 'No Detention 'policy is scrapped. It is the tragedy of the Indians that in our country very attractive policies are devised but it is the implementation part that is always doomed to a failure. The present policy though is poor -friendly and non- authoritative aimed at reduction of drop out of students and enhancing of literacy rate of the nation yet its execution is far from satisfaction. We implemented it without raising the necessary infrastructure badly needed and training the competent teaching personnel. Today the supervision and monitoring systems are absolutely non-existent. The CCA component of the policy is not scrupulously followed giving large scope for the policy to meet a tragic failure.
(E-mail: [email protected])
former DPS and Navodaya principal |
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