HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar on Tuesday said states have been told that they can detain students in Classes V and VIII and that 25 states have agreed to withdraw the no-detention policy.

Speaking on the sidelines of the launch of National Conference on Innovations in School Education (Navonmesh) organised by the NCERT, Javadekar said the no-detention policy has led to deterioration of quality of education.

Javadekar said the students will get two chances to clear the Class V and VIII exams. "There will be an annual examination. If the student fails, he will be given another chance by the school after giving the student remedial classes. But the school will have the liberty to detain the students if he fails in this additional exam also."

The RTE Act makes it mandatory for schools to pass students till Class IX and taking Class X board exams was also optional. An amendment has to be made in the RTE Act so that the schools can lawfully detain students. "A Bill has been prepared and it will soon go to the Cabinet," said Javadekar.

To improve the quality of school education, the HRD Ministry is also going to notify learning outcomes in the RTE Act. A handbook has been prepared by the NCERT which will be circulated among the teachers. The handbooks have been printed in regional languages also. Pamphlets of learning outcomes will be distributed among the parents. "Learning outcomes were already a part of RTE Act. But, they were not notified till now," said Javadekar, adding that they will be put up on the walls of all schools.

Notifying learning outcomes is essential as this will make the teachers accountable and responsible. In addition, the parents should also know about the level of learning that a child must achieve in each class.

Javadekar emphasised that the parents should become part of the School Management Committees to ensure proper grooming of the child.

The HRD minister expressed his concern over the falling standards of education. "In a survey it has been found that students of Class VI are not comfortable with lessons of Class III and a Class VII student were not comfortable with Class IV lessons," said Javadekar.