CBSE detention rule will increase dropouts, says TN Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi
TIRUCHY/CHENNAI: School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi has strongly opposed the Central Board of Secondary Education's (CBSE) move to implement a policy allowing schools to detain students in Classes 3, 5, and 8 if they fail to meet the required marks.
Addressing the media on Friday at Tiruchy International Airport, the minister urged parents across the state to speak out against the detention rule under National Education Policy (NEP), warning that it could cause severe mental stress among students and drive up school dropout rates.
'Parents are already under pressure, many of them take loans to enrol their children in CBSE schools. Adding the fear of failure will only increase their burden,' he said.
The minister said the move is 'unacceptable' and harmful to the psychological well-being of children. 'How can children at the age of eating chocolates be expected to handle the trauma of failure?' he asked.
He also warned that scrapping the no-detention policy could reverse years of effort in reducing dropouts. Reaffirming Tamil Nadu's commitment to the Right to Education (RTE) Act, which ensures all pass up to Class 8, Poyyamozhi recalled that the state had rejected similar detention policies in 2019 and will continue to do so.
Poyyamozhi also criticised the centre's push for centralised education reforms through NEP and NCERT textbooks. 'Every state knows what its children need. Imposing a one-size-fits-all system is dangerous,' he said, and urged parents, and teachers to oppose the CBSE policy and safeguard children's right to stress-free, inclusive education.
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