Separate committees to revise, investigate textbook errors
Education minister says stern action will be taken if the mistakes are found to be intentional
Education Minister Dipu Moni has said that two committees will be formed to correct the errors in printed textbooks for the new curriculum and investigate the causes of the mistakes.
Comprising experts, the first committee will work on correcting the errors, while the second committee with officials from different ministries will investigate whether the mistakes were "intentional to create any unrest".
At a press conference at the International Mother Language Institute on Tuesday, the education minister said this while briefing the media about measures taken by the authorities on textbook errors, anomalies, structural and factual errors, outdated information, spelling mistakes and distortions of history.
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She said in light of the National Curriculum Framework 2021, a new experimental version of the textbook has been prepared for the first-graders in primary and the sixth and seventh-graders in secondary level.
"The books have been prepared with utmost care to avoid any kind of hatred or discrimination. However, some discrepancies have been found, which are being revised," she noted.
She said completing the revisions to the textbook in one year is a challenging endeavour.
"The books are being provided this year on a pilot basis. I will welcome feedback from everyone throughout the year, and I will incorporate refining as suggested," said Dipu Moni.
She said the expert committee will have subject matter experts as well as pedagogy, health, mental health and other experts. After receiving online complaints or objections from the country and abroad, this committee will analyse, consider and correct the mistakes.
About the investigation committee which will have top ministry officials and Prime Minister's Office representatives, the minister said it will verify if there is a "virus in the antidote".
"It will also be probed whether the NCTB [National Curriculum and Textbook Board] was involved in the blunder. Strict action will be taken if any evidence of negligence or intentional mistake is found," Dipu Moni said.
The education minister said there were instructions to omit some photos and texts while the textbooks for the new curriculum were being prepared. "But still they are not dropped. Whether these mistakes are deliberate will be investigated."
