Departing dramatically from its erstwhile education policy, the Odisha government officially reintroduced the “fail system” for students in Class V and VIII, bringing an end to the erstwhile policy of automatic promotion. The decision was taken by bringing about modifications in the Odisha Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Rules, 2010 and follows the central amendment of the Right to Education (RTE) Act of 2019. The decision came into force from the ongoing academic session and will transform the pattern of examination in the state’s primary education.

As per a report released by the School and Mass Education Department, all such students who learn in Classes V and VIII in government and aided schools will now be forced to take year-end examinations. If they fail to perform at the desired level, they will not be promoted by default. But the state has ensured that such students are made eligible to take another opportunity to learn and achieve good marks.

Under the new rules, any individual who fails the bi-annual exams shall be given a formal remedial instruction before taking a re-exam after two months’ time. This is aimed at helping poorly performing pupils in their learning not to fall behind. But if the child fails the re-examination too, he or she will be retained in the same class—Class V or VIII, as the case may be. The state government order also makes it very clear that this backward movement has to be made with the aim of establishing firm basics and not out of any punitive motive against the child.

In spite of this performance-based promotion resurgence, the government has reiterated that no child is to be withdrawn from school until the finish of their primary education. This mandate retains one of the core principles of the original RTE Act, 2009—permanent schooling for all children through Class VIII. Persistence in the schooling system remains the focus, albeit delayed in realization.

This shift in policy follows the 2019 amendment by the union government of the RTE Act, which made it optional for states to re-opt to conduct exams and detention at certain class levels if necessary to improve academic standards. The government of Odisha now followed with state-level parallel amendments, along with them coming a new provision—Rule 14A—to the education rules of the state. This regulation explicitly outlines the procedure and guidelines in conducting the tests and determining at what stage a student can be kept back in a class. It also makes sure that the procedure is followed systematically and objectively, with avenues of intervention before making a promotion.

The no-detention policy, which came into force after the RTE Act became operational in 2009, was meant to promote pupil enrollment and attendance by removing fear of failure and preventing dropouts. Although it was relatively successful in providing rudimentary access to education, critics have contended that it caused laxity in standards. Teachers and educators nationwide had decried earlier that automatic promotion diluted students’ accountability and diluted learning achievement, particularly in key subjects such as English and mathematics.

With this reimplementation of testing and potential retention, Odisha is one of increasing numbers of states that have moved to the reimplementing of academic testing within primary grades as a method to track and drive student learning. The move is part of broader national discourse on how to achieve a balance between inclusivity and quality within the school education system.

School and Mass Education Department officials have maintained in its defense that it is not a question of punishing children, but ensuring that they get minimum levels of learning in various stages. By linking assessment with remedial care and re-examination, the state is seeking to detect learning gaps early and address them properly.

The transformation is also likely to heighten anxiety around teacher accountability and school performance. The schools can now be pressured into getting students ready well for exams, which can result in a better classroom practice, teaching, and use of resources.

Even as stakeholder responses are pending, educationists have conjectured that the success of implementation would largely hinge on the organization of remedial instruction as well as how the evaluation process would be coordinated. Parents and teachers will be the key individuals to assist children in navigating the process and to ensure that the policy will not lead to stress or alienation from school.

As Odisha sets on this new course of education, the coming school years would prove to be the most crucial time in assessing the success of the reintroduced model of fail and its implications on the outcomes of pupils as well as the quality of primary schooling in the state.