Distribute textbooks soon, don’t teach students inaccurate information

Like every year, the government distributed textbooks among secondary and higher secondary students on 1 January. Undoubtedly, it is a great initiative. But, it is very unfortunate that all students did not receive textbooks even after 11 days and several textbooks contain inaccurate information.

Prothom Alo warned by end of 2021 that it would not be possible to distribute textbooks to all the students due to lax in preparation and that is what happened. According to a Prothom Alo report published on 10 January, not all the secondary students of the country have received all the textbooks as yet. Students of various classes are receiving less than the number of books they were supposed to get. Pre-primary level also lags behind in new textbook distribution. However, almost all the students from class 1 to 5 have received new books.

According to the sources of National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) and the people concerned, as of 9 January, out of 24 crore 71 lakh 55 thousand required textbooks at the secondary level, 23 crore 11 lakh 56 thousand books have been printed. Of the books printed, 22 crore72 lakh 40 thousand books have already been cleared for sending to the upazila level with the remaining two crore pending for clearance. And, around 1.60 crore textbooks have not been printed as yet. At the secondary level, students of class 7 are yet to receive another five textbooks while students of class 8 got the information and technology book only.

Uncertainty looms large over a significant number of students receiving new textbooks. News on the delay in textbook distribution surfaced when coronavirus infection is on the rise. The government has already announced no student above 12 can go to school without taking vaccine. People responsible can say nothing about when the students would receive the reaming books amid the surge of coronavirus infection.

However, textbook distribution is not the sole problem. Some of the books distributed contain several severe errors. Textbooks contain error and discrepancy every year, stirring talks and discussion. There is no evidence that situation changes much. According to the news of a private TV channel, seven textbooks of the secondary level contain about 50 errors.

The Bangladesh and Global Studies of class 9 for the 2022 academic session describes on page 29 that the Supreme Court repealed the 13th amendment to the constitution introduced by the general HM Ershad regime. In fact, the BNP government led by Khaleda Zia made the 13th amendment. The same textbook also states the fifth amendment to the constitution was declared void in 2008 but it was in 2009.

If textbook contains inaccurate information, students will learn that. Therefore, it is necessary to fix the errors immediately. According to the academicians, lack of professional temperament in writing and editing textbooks is the reason of all these. Many times, old textbooks are used as new ones by changing the print line only. This cannot be accepted in any way. Textbooks must be distributed immediately among students who are yet to receive it. Likewise, the errors that the textbooks contain must be fixed on emergency basis.