The Union Ministry of Education, in December 2024, introduced amendments to the Right to Education (RTE) Rules, 2024. Under the new rules, students in Classes V and VIII who do not meet the promotion criteria in regular examinations may be held back. In response, Goa’s State Education Secretary, Prasad Lolayekar, announced that a state-level committee has been established to determine the assessment structure for these competency tests.
Formation of State Policy
While the central government will provide guidelines for assessments and promotion, Goa intends to formulate its own comprehensive policy. Lolayekar emphasized that a well-defined policy is essential to ensure that students benefit from the new regulations without facing negative consequences.
“We will decide on the implementation once the central guidelines are released. A dedicated committee is working on defining the competency assessments for Class V and VIII,” he said. “The objective is to create a policy that prevents dropouts in these grades while maintaining educational standards.”
Dropout Rate and NEP Implementation
Currently, Goa has a negligible dropout rate up to Class VIII due to the no-detention policy. However, from Class IX onwards, the dropout rate increases to around 3-4%. With the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 being gradually implemented, the state aims to bring down this dropout rate to 1% or lower.
Lolayekar also addressed concerns about the academic schedule change for 2025-26, which will now commence on April 1. “Some were concerned about Class IX students who fail their exams in April. They will have a supplementary exam in July. Moreover, students will still be able to attempt Class X board exams, but their results will be withheld until they clear Class IX,” he clarified.
Flexibility in the Transition Phase
Since NEP 2020 is still in the transition phase, states have the flexibility to experiment with policies. However, once the policy is fully implemented in 2030, such flexibility will no longer be available.
“Right now, we have the opportunity to refine policies based on state-specific needs. This will not be possible once NEP is fully in place,” Lolayekar said.
With the new assessment framework, Goa seeks to balance academic rigor with student welfare, ensuring a smooth transition to the revised educational structure.
