No detention policy should remain till Class IV: Subramanian

The no detention policy in schools should be applicable till Class IV and exams be held from Class V onwards, a committee formed by the government to formulate a New Education Policy (NEP) has recommended while also suggesting foreign institutions be allowed to come to India to improve the quality of higher education.
The panel in its 200-page report has given specific suggestions to raise the standard of education which are found wanting in many respects from primary to higher level, sources said.
One of the key suggestions is to focus on "remedial coaching" and "hand-holding" to ensure the learning outcome of children does not suffer.

It has recommended that the 'No Detention policy' be reviewed and exams be held from Class V. The Right To Education law prescribes the no-detention policy for students till Class VIII.
However, in case a child does not pass in the first instance, he or she should be given two more chances to appear in the exam.
The committee in its report is also learnt to have devoted a chapter on the impact of coaching classes for entrance exams.

"The committee has made specific recommendations from infrastructure to quality of education, which is an issue of concern, from primary to higher levels," sources said.

Another important recommendation is formation of an Education cadre service which would improve the standards of administration of the education.
Sources said with an aim of improving the quality of higher education, where not many Indian institutes manage to figure in top rankings, the panel has suggested that high quality institutions from abroad should be allowed to come into the country, though with appropriate restriction.
The committee has also emphasised on aspects related to skilling and vocational education. The panel is learnt to have emhasised imbibing values and cofidence in the students.
The has also emphasised on skill development and aspect related to vocational training in its report. The panel has also made recommendations about making the regulatory mechanism comprising UGC, AICTE for technical education, more equal to contemporary challenges.

Speaking on the occasion, UNICEF chief (Bihar) Yameen
Mazumdar said as per World Bank data, 4.9 per cent of GDP was spent on education globally in 2010 whereas India spent 3.3 per cent of its GDP on education.
But Bihar was showing a positive sign with education continuing to remain on top of its priority with the allocation of 15.31 per cent for education in 2016-17 Budget, he said.
Classrooms have become more inclusive, girls' share to total school enrollments now stood at 50 per cent, Mazumdar said and added that enrollments amongst Dalits, OBCs and other minorities registered an increase.

Talking about the challenges, he said 11 lakh children were still out of school and approximately 45.8 per cent elementary teachers untrained in Bihar.
"The learning achievement is above national average in Maths which is a good sign, but we are less than the national average in language and social sciences in Bihar," he said.
Net enrollment at secondary level continued to be low at 47.9 per cent, he said.
Former Chairperson of National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights Shanta Sinha lauded the efforts of the state government for reducing the dropouts in schools, increasing enrollment ratio especially that of girls.

In order to impart quality education, schools have to be ready for first generation learners, he said, adding that schools would have to be a place of non-discrimination of any type, Sinha said.