From India: State to safeguard 'weak' students

[The Straight Story]

Fail not, fear not: State to safeguard 'weak' students

MUMBAI: There will hopefully not be another Shams Merchant. The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, which came into force from April 1, has a clause which makes it clear that no student between the ages of 6-14 can be expelled or held back in any class. Merchant (14), a Class VII student, hanged himself at his Millat Nagar residence on Thursday after learning he failed for the second time in the same class.

Under the provisions of the new landmark legislation on education, no child admitted in a school will be failed in any class or expelled from the school till the completion of elementary education from the ensuing academic session. “We are duty-bound to implement the legislation, and at the same time, we will take adequate care of weak students. From this academic session onwards, no student will fail, at least up to elementary education,’’ school education minister Balasaheb Thorat told TOI on Friday. About Merchant, the minister said, “The case was brought to my notice, it was unfortunate.’’

The basic thrust of the new law is to ensure that no student is left out of the school. It refers to various aspects of child education and welfare and makes free and compulsory education a fundamental right for all children between 6 and 14.

On the specific provision that no child will be held back in any class till he completes elementary education, Thorat said he had asked the school education department to work out an action plan to ensure that no student fails up to Class VIII. “We are drafting a new strategy for the purpose. We will identify weak students, and impart special training to teachers to tackle such students. Of course, the students will have to appear for the unit test and quarterly and half-yearly examination, but at the same time, we will ensure that the student is adequately prepared for the examination,’’ he said.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Fail-not-fear-not-State-to-safeguard-weak-students/articleshow/5879184.cms