Abolishing the no-detention policy, the West Bengal government has decided to bring back the pass-fail system in classes five and eight from the next academic session. Education Minister Partha Chatterjee said on Thursday that a notification has been issued in this regard.

A pass-fail grading system is one in which the student receives either a passing or a failing grade rather than the marks/rating system.

He further added, “This is in conformity with recommendations of the Ministry of Human Resources Development to bring back the pass-fail system in classes 5 and 8. Students would have to pass examinations to be promoted to classes 6 and 9 from the next academic session.”

The no-detention policy till class 8 had been adopted by West Bengal government in 2010 amid protests from a section of teachers who felt that it would produce poor quality students. West Bengal was among most of the states that had earlier mooted revoking the no-detention policy by the Centre but the MHRD left it to the respective state governments to decide.

Source: PTI