Many schools had become just mid-day meal schools and the students were not failed or detained in a particular class, after the passage of Right to Education law, HRD minister Prakash Javadekar said . “These schools were reduced to coming, eating and going,” Javadekar told members in Rajya Sabha during Question Hour.
He said his ministry took it up as a challenge and now learning outcomes for all classes have been brought in. A bill, which would allow students who do not reach a minimum level of learning to be failed and detained in class V and VIII, was also in the pipeline, as the states were demanding a change in the no-detention policy, he said.
It is a serious problem that a class VI child is unable to read a lesson meant for class II or a class VII student is unable to solve the mathematics question for class III, Javadekar said. Responding to several questions related to quality of education, Javadekar said in last three years, new 47 Kendriya Vidyalayas have been operationalised and 50 more such schools had been sanctioned.
He said 62 new Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas are coming up for rural schools. He said to improve quality, it has been decided that states which take steps to improve standards will get additional funds under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan.To a question related to a Kendriya Vidyalaya in Kolhapur, Javadekar said he would look at it favourably if a proposal through proper channel reaches his ministry.
