Panaji, May 14 (IANS) Headmasters of schools in Goa have opposed a state government directive, as per the Right to Education (RTE) Act, that no student between Class 1 and Class 8 can be held back or expelled from school.

The Goa Headmasters Association (GHA) has asked the government to withdraw the circular to this effect, saying that the directive has come "at the last minute" and that proper rules and norms were not in place to implement it.

"The GHA believes that the implementation of the RTE Act should be done in a phased and staggered manner. It should not be done in a hasty manner. Why cannot the Goa government wait till next year for the implementation," GHA president Sanjiv Sawant said.

"Some schools have already declared their results in which several students from Class 1 and Class 8 have failed. It is too late to change things," Sawant said.

The government circular issued last week seeks to implement Section 16 of the RTE Act with retrospective effect. The section states that "no child admitted in the school shall be held back or expelled from school till the completion of elementary education".

Education Minister Atanasio Monserrate, however, said that his decision to implement the 'no-fail' policy was irrevocable.

"Who are the schools to decide? The government has taken a decision in the interest of the people. They only have to implement the decision."

Pravin Faldesai of We the People forum has also criticised the government's decision to implement the policy in a hurry.

"It is surely a populist move aimed at the elections which are scheduled to be held early next year. We are opposing tooth and nail this selective and hasty implementation of the RTE act. They are only trying to bait parents with carrots that their children will never fail," Faldesai said.