Despite widespread criticism for some controversial contents and mistakes and in textbooks from classes I to IX, the government is going to print the books for the next academic year without changing those controversial contents. Sources in the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) said the government has decided go for the print aimed at distributing error-free books among the students next year.
The contents that drew flak such as ‘goat eating mango’ or ‘girl wants scarf’ would remain in the new textbooks as well, they added.
They explained that changing the content is a huge task and the NCTB alone cannot take such a decision. Such changes are made by high-powered committees.
The sources said a committee is already working on the matter and would provide necessary recommendations to make the textbooks more readable and easy.
However, the sources claimed that the NCBT would be more cautious about avoiding mistakes in textbooks next time — for example, proofreading would be improved.
About the covers and size of the textbooks, the sources said the size of the textbooks would remain the same and the covers would be made of art paper to make them more durable.
Though the cost of the books would be increased to some extent, NCBT officials want the books to have clear scripts, pictures, and the like.
NCTB sources said they would print around 36.21 crore textbooks for the distribution among 4.21 crore students in 2018.
Of the total books, around 10.22 crore would be distributed among 2.10 crore students in primary level, while 17.89 crore books for 1.27 crore students in secondary level and 5.78 crore books for 54.3 lakh students in Ebtedayee and Dakhil level.
The sources also said that this year four books - general science, physics, chemistry and biology of class IX - would be printed in multi-colour pages. The NCTB has already
floated a tender for the primary-level textbooks for 2018 that would be opened on April 25 this year.
The process to invite tender for the secondary-level books is underway. The bidding process got delayed because of the delay in getting the demand list from the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE) NCTB sources said the delay may hamper the printing and distribution of books for secondary level.
“We have not yet decided on changing the contents of the textbooks. It would remain the same,” NCBT chairman Prof Narayan Chandra Saha told The Independent on Tuesday. “Content change is a long process. A committee is working on it. They would send a report within this month. Then we will think what can be done,” he said. “We want to pay attention to avoid mistakes we found this year. We’ll ensure almost error-free books by strengthening the proofreading,” he noted. “Besides, we’re making changes to the cover page and book size. The quality of the cover would be improved, as we would use art paper. The size of all books would be 20cmx30cm,” he added.