Class IX has been a standing challenge for the Delhi government, as under the present no-detention policy, no student can be held back till she/he passes Class VIII. This means Class IX is the first threshold for school children.Amid severe criticism over the poor pass percentage in Class IX, the Delhi government made public its pass percentage for the class, along with that for three other classes.
In Class IX, where schools see the highest failure rate, the pass percentage improved by just 0.4 percentage points, despite interventions to improve learning levels in junior classes.
However, the Class XI results, where the pass percentage was 80% this year, saw an improvement of nine percentage points from last year.
Class IX has been a standing challenge for the Delhi government, as under the present no-detention policy, no student can be held back till she/he passes Class VIII. This means Class IX is the first threshold for school children.
Recently, BJP MP Vijay Goel alleged that lakhs of students were failing in senior classes and were not being readmitted to Class X and XII to improve their results.
As per the new government policy, children who fail in Class IX more than twice are asked to write Class X exams through the National Institute of Open Schooling. Those who fail once are given a choice to either continue with the school system and repeat the class, or give exams under the Patrachar mode so that they do not lose a year.
Vijender Gupta, leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, also hit out at AAP on their claim to have added new rooms in schools on Wednesday. Citing the government’s reply to a question asked in the Assembly, Gupta claimed it is in possession of 82 vacant plots where schools could have been constructed easily but nothing was done. “Where are the promised 500 new schools?” he questioned.
In lower grades
Since the no-detention policy is being replaced this year, the Delhi government also shared results of Classes V and VIII — the two classes where students can be held back under the new policy the government is working on.
In Class V this year, where only 26,000 students study in 416 Sarvodaya schools that fall under the Delhi government, the data shared by the government shows a consistent pass percentage of 93% has been seen for the past four years. Most Class V students in government schools come under civic bodies such as municipal corporations and councils.
In Class VIII, the government said, pass percentage improved by five percentage points as compared to last year and was recorded at 64.7%.
“As per the amendment (in Right to Education Act), state governments are now free to revoke no-detention policy…The scheme will be applicable to students who are in Class V and VIII now,” the government statement said.
