NEW DELHI: The Aam Aadmi Party government does not agree with the Centre’s policy to not fail students till Class VII and considers it a factor for the falling pass rate in Class IX. Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on Wednesday said the policy was good but in implementing it the government needed to consider several aspects, and he had written to Union HRD minister Smriti Irani to limit the policy till Class III.

“Is the purpose of our education system to ensure that children pass, or is it to educate them? What happens till Class VIII that suddenly changes in Class IX? Children who do not study in one class will not be studying a year later either,” he said.

Other members too supported the deputy CM in the demand for limiting the policy till Class III. MLA from Palam, Bhavna Gaur, said 12,000 students had appeared for Class IX exams in 2014-15 but 4,500 of them failed. “After three re-tests, only 2,500 managed to pass. Is this because children are paying too much attention to television and games and not studying?” she said.

However, AAP ’s MLA from Timarpur, Pankaj Pushkar, who has distanced himself from the party’s policies after aligning with the Swaraj Abhiyan Movement , says the government’s proposal goes against the spirit of Right to Education. “There is a need to develop a more nuanced understanding of education. The problem is not that students are not up to the mark, but if so many are failing then it is the fault of the system. Education is not about developing the developed but helping those who do not meet a set mark. Some students may not be up to the mark for a set standard of testing, like an exam, and could be helped in other ways,” he said.