Will protest if no-detention policy is scrapped, says Anubha Sahai

While the Lok Sabha has passed a bill to amend the Right to Education (RTE) Act to abolish the "no-detention" policy in schools, according to the amendment, it would be the states' prerogative to decide whether to continue the policy. Disappointed parents' associations across the city have decided to come together to discuss the issue.

According to the current RTE provisions, no child can be detained up to Class 8. The parents say that in the absence of the policy, they would not be able to take up school management issues freely: they feel school authorities might threaten to detain their ward if they raise their voice against matters like indiscriminate fee hikes and sundry charges.

Anubha Sahai, president, India Wide Parents Association, said, "We will protest if the policy is scrapped by the government. As such, the move will spell harassment for parents and students. If any parent raises their voice against fee hike, the child will be targeted by the school and failed in Class 5 or 8. We will meet other parent-teachers' association and decide the further course of action. In fact, we will demand the no-detention policy be extended till Class 12."

Jayant Jain, the president of another parents association, Forum for Fairness in Education, said, "If the no-detention policy is scrapped, it will dilute the purpose of providing free and compulsory education to children. We don't understand why they are planning to leave it up to the state government to implement or cancel the policy. The government should in fact bring qualified teachers to schools."