Tamil Nadu No-Fail System: Promotes Students Automatically Till Class 8

Tamil Nadu has decided to go ahead with the no-detention policy for students up to Class 8 in a decision that contradicts the central government's recent move. Students of Classes 5 and 8 will not be detained or failed even if they do not pass their examinations.

According to School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, the central government's decision to allow schools to fail students in Classes 5 and 8 is a major obstruction for children from poor families for uninterrupted education.¹ He termed this move "regrettable" and assured that Tamil Nadu will stick to its current system of automatically promoting students in these classes.

Scrapping the no-detention policy for Classes 5 and 8, which the central government has decided to do, now means that students failing the end exams will have to retake the same. This time, if they fail again, they will not be promoted but have to repeat the year. However, the Ministry of Education issued a clarification stating that no child would be expelled before completing elementary education.

Tamil Nadu's decision to persist with its no-detention policy is seen as a move to help disadvantaged students. The state government does not intend to change its present system of automatic promotion up to Class 8. The state government has assured parents, students, teachers, and educationists that they need not worry or feel confused about the central government's policy.

It's worth noting that Tamil Nadu has not adopted the National Education Policy (NEP) and is in the process of drafting its own State Education Policy. The central government's new rule on detaining students will only apply to central government-run schools in Tamil Nadu, not to other schools in the state.

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