CCE, no-detention policy attacked, panel to review

The no-detention policy for school children right up to Class VIII under the Right to Education Act as well as the CBSE's Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) system came under attack from state education ministers Wednesday at a meeting of the newly reconstituted Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE).

Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Kapil Sibal announced that a CABE committee under the leadership of Haryana Education minister Geeta Bhukkal would assess implementation of the CCE in context of the no-detention provision in the RTE Act, hold talks with experts, and submit a report in three months.

However, Sibal emphasised: "The no-detention policy is probably not understood by schools as understood by us. Everyone agrees that not having board examinations is a good idea, but no examinations at all is not acceptable. Some people think no detention and CCE mean no exams — that is not the case."

Several ministers argued that not "failing" students as a matter of policy was affecting the quality of students and must be reviewed. Bihar Education Minister P K Shahi felt that the reading habit of students had suffered as a result, while Chhattisgarh's Brij Mohan Agarwal contended that the impact was being seen in the "dwindling intellectual quality" of those clearing school. Shahi said this system should be abolished and more attention given to exams.

While educationist Vinod Raina clarified that no detention did not mean no examination, Secretary, School Education, Anhsu Vaish pointed out that detentions resulted in increased school dropouts.

Others, like Assam Education Minister Himanta Biswas, raised the issue of CCE implementation in the context of lack of teachers in rural areas. So there was little scope of implementing the CCE format—involving year-round assessment of student performance—Biswas said.

CABE, the apex educational body, also deliberated on the proposed National Mission on Teachers and finally resolved to set up a committee under HRD, MoS, D Purandeshwari to develop the mission framework. Sibal rued that even candidates with B.Ed and D.Ed qualifications were unable to clear the Teachers' Eligibility Test.

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