directive, as per the Right to Education (RTE) Act, that no student
between Class 1 and Class 8 can be held back or expelled from school.
The Goa Headmasters Association (GHA) has asked the government to
withdraw the circular to this effect, saying that the directive has
come "at the last minute" and that proper rules and norms were not in
place to implement it.
"The GHA believes that the implementation of the RTE Act should be
done in a phased and staggered manner. It should not be done in a
hasty manner. Why cannot the Goa government wait till next year for
the implementation," GHA president Sanjiv Sawant said.
"Some schools have already declared their results in which several
students from Class 1 and Class 8 have failed. It is too late to
change things," Sawant said.
The government circular issued last week seeks to implement Section 16
of the RTE Act with retrospective effect. The section states that "no
child admitted in the school shall be held back or expelled from
school till the completion of elementary education".
Education Minister Atanasio Monserrate, however, said that his
decision to implement the 'no-fail' policy was irrevocable.
"Who are the schools to decide? The government has taken a decision in
the interest of the people. They only have to implement the decision."
Pravin Faldesai of We the People forum has also criticized the
government's decision to implement the policy in a hurry.
"It is surely a populist move aimed at the elections which are
scheduled to be held early next year. We are opposing tooth and nail
this selective and hasty implementation of the RTE act. They are only
trying to bait parents with carrots that their children will never
fail," Faldesai said. IANS
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