New Delhi: The Delhi government on October 7, 2022, issued a new promotion policy for classes V and VIII, following the 2019 amendment in the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act (RTE) 2009 by the parliament, which allows states to determine the conditions under which students could be held back. These guidelines will be implemented from the academic session 2023-24.
The academic authority of the Delhi Government, State Council of Educational Research & Training (SCERT) has prepared new examination guidelines and promotion policy to be enforced from the academic session 2023-24 for classes III to VIII which is child-centric in nature and focuses on the holistic development of students. It clearly explains the mode and manner in which a child can be held back in classes V and VIII.
These new assessment and promotion guidelines prepared by SCERT Delhi were released by the Directorate of Education (DoE) for all government, local bodies and private schools in Delhi on October 7, 2022. According to these new guidelines, assessment of children's learning in classes V and VIII will include mid-term and annual examinations as well as co-curricular activities. These co-curricular activities include project-based activities, portfolio, child's participation in the classroom, participation in activities like theater, dance, music, sports, child's attendance, etc. Under these new assessment guidelines, if a child is unable to pass class V or VIII, he/she will get another chance to improve the performance within 2 months through re-examination.
On this, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said, “The 'No Detention Policy’ was very progressive but due to lack of preparation, the education system could not take full advantage of it. But we need to prepare such a system to lay a strong foundation at the elementary level which works on the holistic development of a child, and the learning should be of such a level that there is no need for detention.”
He added, "Keeping the holistic development of children in mind, SCERT, Delhi has released new assessment guidelines. Through these guidelines, our aim is not to stop any student from getting promoted to the next class, because a child never fails, it is the system that fails. Through these guidelines, our real aim is to bring the same degree of seriousness in elementary grades as for class X and XII.”
Guidelines of Examination and Promotion issue by the academic authority SCERT
These guidelines will be implemented in all the government, government-aided, Municipal Corporation of Delhi, New Delhi Municipal Corporation, Delhi Cantonment Board and recognized unaided schools within NCT of Delhi from the Academic session 2023-24.
General Guidelines
- No child shall be expelled from school till the completion of elementary education.
- There shall be a regular examination in classes V and VIII at the end of every academic year.
- If a child fails in the examination he/she shall be given additional instructions and granted an opportunity for reexamination within a period of two months from the date of declaration of results.
- Assessment of classes III, IV, VI, and VII will be done on the same examination pattern as of classes V and VIII. The students of classes III, IV, VI and VII will not be held back in the same class.
- Academic session for class III to VIII will have assessment as Mid-Term Examinations (September/October) and Annual Examinations (February and March).
- Pen and Paper based examination of Classes III to VIII will be conducted which will test the achievements of basic learning outcomes, through assessment of core concepts and knowledge from the National & Local Curricula along with the relevant higher-order skills and application of knowledge in real life situations, rather than rote memorization.
- Marks for internal assessment will include assessment of subject enrichment, attendance, project-based activities, portfolio, multiple assessments, and periodic/unit tests.
Promotion Guidelines
Passing criteria for Class V and VIII
- In order to be declared “Pass” at the end of the session for promotion to the next higher class, a student must secure at least 33% marks in each subject studied by him /her during the session.
- The promotion to the next higher class is also subject to the condition that a minimum of 25% of marks must be scored in Mid Term Examinations plus Annual Examination.
- In order to be declared “Pass” in Re-Examination, a student will have to secure at least 25% marks in the subject(s) in which he/she has taken the Re-Examination.
- If a student does not secure at least 25% marks in the subject(s) in which he/she has taken the Re-Examination and a minimum of 33 out of 100 marks in that subject(s) or does not appear in the Re-Examination, he/she will be placed in the category of “Essential Repeat”. The student in this case will be held back in the same class during the next session.