Archive · 19 Aug 2026
Why Detention and Exam Orthodoxy Can Harm Children
The article discusses how schools respond when children struggle with learning.
It says making a child repeat a year may not help the child learn better.
It also says that being labeled as having failed can hurt a child’s development.
The author believes there is strong evidence against detention.
In 2009, India’s Right to Education Act introduced Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation.
The law also removed exams and detention until class 8.
Many people, including the author, supported these changes.
They had seen how stressful exams and failure can be for children.
The article argues that schoolchildren should not suffer because of rigid beliefs about learning.
It says there is almost no evidence that repeating a school year improves learning.
Research reportedly shows that making a child repeat a year can harm development.
The Right to Education Act of 2009 made Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation compulsory.
The law abolished examinations and detention up to class 8, a decision the author initially supported.
- Who
- Schoolchildren, educators, and supporters of the Right to Education reforms.
- What
- The article argues against detention and rigid examination practices in schools.
- When
- The Right to Education Act was enacted in 2009; no specific date is given for the article’s discussion.
- Where
- In the school education system covered by the Right to Education Act.
- Why
- Because repeating a year and experiencing failure may not improve learning and can harm children’s development.
- Law referenced
- Right to Education Act
- Year enacted
- 2009
- Assessment policy
- Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation was made compulsory.
- Detention policy
- Detention was abolished up to class 8.
- Examination policy
- Exams were abolished up to class 8.
- Author’s position
- The author initially supported the reforms.