Doubts Over Efficacy of No Detention Policy for Quality in Education

Abstract

India's flagship programme ‘Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan’ (SSA) for Universalisation of Elementary Education has enhanced enrolment rate and retention of children in school. The country has now shifted its focus from retention to quality of education for improvement in children's learning achievements. The UN recommendation has been reinforced in the provision of the Right of children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act 2009, which came into effect in India on 1st April 2010, enshrining in law for the first time the rights of all Indian children aged between 06 and 14 years to free and compulsory elementary education regardless of caste, class, gender etc. The RTE act, though deserves due credit for laying down in fairly specific terms state's responsibility towards education, it would be appropriate to examine the status and awareness on the part of schools and concerned authority to provide free elementary education to the children aging between 06 to 14 years of age ‘The No Detention Policy’ was brought in to provide elementary school children an environment free from fear, anxiety and stress to allow them learn and grow on their own pace as well as check the drop out rates. It, however, has turned out to be counter productive. It seems all is not well with the ‘no detention’ policy introduced under the RTE Act.