The Tamil Nadu Director of Elementary Education has said that students of classes 1 to 8 in all schools under the State Board have been promoted to the next class, for the academic year 2020-21, in accordance with the provisions of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009.
In a set of directions issued to School Education Department officials across the State, the Director said that officials should inform all government, government-aided and private state board schools under their jurisdiction to promote all students from classes 1 to 8.
Section 16 of the RTE Act 2009 states that no child shall be held back in any class or shall be expelled until the completion of elementary school, and Tamil Nadu follows a no-detention policy for students till class 8.
Education Department officials have further been instructed to direct heads of schools to make an entry of all student names in the pass register. Further instructions are to be given to the schools by the officials in their districts.
Since Tamil Nadu is currently under an intensified lockdown, further information on when schools can be opened to start the distribution of free textbooks and other resources for students will be announced later, the Department has said.
Earlier in February, the Tamil Nadu government had announced that students of classes 9 to 11 were declared ‘all pass’. The announcement came shortly after schools were shut following an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in the state.
The Board exams for class 12 students were postponed and students are awaiting the revised exam schedule.