Most states in the country, including Maharashtra, want the Centre to amend the Right to Education Act and revoke its no-detention policy for students of Classes I to VIII, a state minister has said.

During a recent meeting held by the Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE), most states urged the Union government to revoke its no-detention policy as students tend to not take their exams seriously, and thus it becomes difficult for them in Classes IX and X, Maharashtra’s Minister of State for Home Ranjit Patil said.

“The CABE had convened a meeting where we discussed the detention of students in the same class. We have very strongly conveyed to the Centre that though this policy makes things easier in the short-term, it makes matters difficult for them in Classes IX and X,” Patil said.

“Also, students should inculcate a habit wherein they learn that one does not achieve anything until one works hard for it,” he said.

Ministers from maximum states, who were present at the meeting, had the same view, he said, adding that primary, secondary, higher and technical education issues were among other things discussed at the meeting.

“We apprised the Centre with what Maharashtra has done in terms of education, steps taken by us like reducing the weight of school bags. We also said that NCC and NSS can be made elective subjects,” Patil said.

The no-detention policy, a key component of the RTE Act, was enforced on April 1, 2010 with an aim to ensure that every child between the age of 6 and 14 studies in school.

The idea behind the policy was to minimise the number of students who drop out of the schooling system because of failure and are too embarrassed or de-motivated to repeat a year.

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