How can we protect textbooks against politicisation?

The new year has ushered in new textbooks under the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB), which is responsible for formulating the curriculum and production and distribution of textbooks at primary and secondary schools. 

And staying true to its long track record of printing errors and frequent changes in content, this year is reportedly no different. 

Amid the changes in content, two things stand out: the inclusion of the July uprising and that former President Ziaur Rahman made the declaration of independence on 26 March, and again on the following day, but on behalf of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Additionally, the title Father of the Nation has been removed from Mujib's name. 

These changes are not new. In fact, the change in "who declared independence" in the textbooks can be dated back to 1996. 

The politicisation of textbooks carries a fervent record in the country, including the removal or change in content caused by religious factions, which have been extensively discussed in the recent past.  

'Political immaturity'

While it is true that political and ideological influence on textbooks is not unique to Bangladesh but rather a global phenomenon, perhaps the intensity, for the lack of a better word, is astonishing. Academic and political activist Anu Muhammad labels it as "political immaturity". 

"With the historic facts [in the textbooks], there is a tendency [for a political party/government] to dominate or [take a] partisan position… that 'we did everything, there is no one else.' It is this approach which has a vulgar impact on the media, everything really, and also textbooks," said Muhammad, a former professor of Jahangirnagar University. 

The impact is not only very unreasonable but immeasurable, because children's ability to become independent thinkers has a lot to do with textbooks, he argues. 

"What was correct [in the textbooks] yesterday, isn't so today. So when they ask their teachers or parents, they also get partisan facts, not historical or universal facts," he added. 

Due to not being free of the effects of politicisation in textbooks, major issues that should be debated, that should be discussed, cannot happen. "This is a national problem, the textbook is a victim," explained Anu Muhammad.  

The NCTB also has a long track of errors. When these mistakes occur, who is to be held responsible? 

"The responsibility for the mistakes in the textbook lies first with its authors and editors. However, as a national publishing organisation, the NCTB authorities must also take responsibility. Despite all the opportunities, the NCTB has not become sufficiently capable as an institution," said Dr Tariq Manzoor, Bangla professor at Dhaka University. 

He added, "Moreover, there is a lack of qualified and skilled people here due to party affiliation, irregularities, etc. Even those who are added from outside as authors of the textbook, their main identity is which party they belong to."

A narrowed narrative 

As recently as last year, the NCTB removed a story titled "Sharifa's Tale" about a Hijra boy from the seventh-grade history and social science book amid criticisms from Islamist groups.

Even earlier, according to a media report, the NCTB dropped two textbooks for sixth and seventh grades, giving in to the pressure from different Islamist groups. The content in question "promoted" Darwin's theory of evolution and "demeaned" the Islamic attire for women in February 2023.

The same report, quoting a former NCTB member who was involved in the process, said the writings of famous authors were dropped because Islamists disliked them. He added the exclusions were done on instructions from "higher authorities" in 2017.

"We know very well that it happened to fulfil the demands of Hefazat-e-Islam under the last government [Awami League]," Anu Muhammad told TBS, adding, "When we inquired, at the time, NCTB senior officials said they knew nothing about it. Actually, they did know. The PM gave a direct order, the old textbooks were destroyed and [accordingly], the new ones were formulated." 

However, Dr Tariq holds a different view in this regard. 

"You say that some non-Muslim authors have been excluded. I have not seen this amendment in the new book. However, I would not like to see the matter this way. In selecting or excluding texts, the gender identity, religious identity or such distinguishing characteristics of the author cannot be considered. You should rather see whether any necessary text has been excluded," he explained. 

How can we protect textbooks against politicisation? 

"Without political maturity, I do not see a solution to this," remarked Anu Muhammad. 

He explained how accommodating others in textbooks and staying true to historical, universal facts, is of course one way forward. "Tolerance, respect for each other and maturity to accommodate others," he added. 

Another factor is dynastic politics. "One thing that can happen is that as long as the impact of dynastic politics persists, it will be difficult to move away from this [politicisation]," said Anu Md, adding, "They [those who subscribe to dynastic politics] feel insecure as though if they abandon that narrative then it threatens their existence." 

He further added, "The other thing is transparency, what is being dropped [from the textbooks], what is being added, it must be logical. An editorial board must have power [in this regard]. The selection of the editorial board must be non-partisan. It should be subject-oriented."

The education commission, he explained, should be autonomous and function as such, regardless of which government comes to power. "Our problem is that when a government comes to power, it destroys the institutions. It happened comprehensively during the last government's tenure. By destroying the institutions, everything runs based on orders from the top," he said.  

While nuanced, unaltered or consistent national textbooks seem like a distant reality, perhaps this year's textbooks deserve our collective scrutiny to hold the NCTB accountable — for one, errors have already been reported. 

Additionally, we should be pressuring those at the helm of education policy to ensure fact and science-based textbook curriculum for students across the country, perhaps just as strongly as those who pressure the government to remove content which does not fit religious checkboxes. At the same time, we need to move away from politicisation through the implementation of an autonomous education commission and strengthening it as such.   

Of course, politicisation of textbooks is not exclusive to Bangladesh.

The New York Times' "Two States. Eight Textbooks. Two American Stories" (2020) by Dana Goldstein is a fitting example. The story compares textbooks across California (a historically blue-Democrat state) against Texas (a historically red-Republican state) and finds many concerning differences including constitution amendments related to gun regulations and the Harlem Renaissance.

A DW report in 2023 found how the BJP government in India altered history textbooks. One example is the removal of references to Mahatma Gandhi's opposition to Hindu nationalism. 

"It [politicisation in Bangladeshi textbooks] has been happening since the distant past. Everything happens at the behest of power and power structures. And why do you think so much about history? Is there such a thing as the 'truth' of history? History always speaks in favour of the victors," said Dr Tariq.