NEW DELHI: Union Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani has convened a meeting of the Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) on August 19 to discuss extension of the Right to Education Act, no-detention policy and the new education policy.
The 63rd meeting of the CABE is also likely to discuss the increasing weight of school bags and status of NCC and NSS in schools and colleges. Sources said the HRD Ministry has been receiving complaints about heavy school bags.
The CABE was reconstituted on June 11, with 19 nominated members from different fields, apart from ex-officio members, various Union Ministers and vice-chancellors of universities. This would be the first meeting of the highest advisory body on education since the NDA Government came to power.
The meeting is scheduled to discuss the status report of CABE committee on extension of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, to pre-school and secondary education. The Act currently applies to children between six and 14 years studying from Class I to VIII.
In its report submitted in 2012, the CABE sub-committee had identified issues such as entry age for pre-school under the extended framework, qualification and capacity building of teachers at the pre-primary level, age of children in secondary education and duration of secondary education.
Though the CABE meeting would mainly focus on the consultation process for new education policy, it is likely to take a final call on the no-detention policy in schools. The CABE committee headed by then Haryana Education Minister Geeta Bhukkal had in 2012 recommended the scrapping of no-detention policy saying automatic promotion affected learning outcomes.
While the committee report has favoured doing away with the policy introduced under the RTE, the HRD Ministry has been silent on the issue, stating that the CABE would take it for consideration.
Recently, Irani informed Parliament that many Chief Ministers as well as parents of children have expressed concern over no-detention policy. She said the concerns were related to reduced learning outcomes and falling education standards in Class IX due to no-detention policy till Class VIII.