We will send amendments to educational institutions in April
- Prof Md. Farhadul Islam, Chairman, NCTB
Amendment work should be expedited
- Monira Jahan, Director, IER, JnU
Students learn school textbooks as a document. Having errors in information and topics in textbooks is a common occurrence in Bangladesh but rare in other countries. National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) issued more than 400 amendments to the new curriculum last year.
Almost four months have passed since the last amendment. This time also NCTB is moving in the same direction. As a result, students are learning errors. However, the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) says that three months is not too late. We will send the amendments in April itself.
Educationists, however, feel that correction of textbook errors should come soon, considering students. It is known that errors have been found in various books since the beginning of the year. Several news about these errors have appeared in national newspapers and online media. Given this, NCTB has issued a notification asking for the revision of textbooks from various quarters.
But even at the end of three months of the year, that amendment will not reach the educational institutions. As a result, students will learn errors from textbooks during these times. Professor Monira Jahan, Director of Institute of Education and Research (IER) at Jagannath University, said that errors should not be made in the textbook. Thinking about the academic year, it was necessary to correct the errors quickly and get it to the students. Not everything in a book is wrong.
Since it is too late for the revised sections to reach the students, teachers are expected to fill in the wrong sections with their subject knowledge to keep the teaching going. Also, teachers can put the right parts in the daily lesson. Later you can teach the revised part of the lessons. As a result, I think the loss of students can be reduced a lot.
NCTB has to go through many processes for the amendment issue. It is hard to speed up even if you want to. But the revised work should be expedited keeping in mind the students. NCTB member Dr. Moshiuzzaman said, if there are any amendments to the book, we have asked them to be informed. We have already received some amendments. We are collecting as many corrections as we can get them. Then we will review them through the committee. The latest amendment will be sent in form. At the beginning of the year, there was a controversy over the Sharif-Sharifa story. In the face of controversy, the Education Minister formed a committee to review this matter. But even after two months, this committee of 5 members could not give any review in this regard. Regarding the revision of Sharif-Sharifa's story, the convener of the committee is the vice-chancellor of Islamic Arabic University, Dr. Abdur Rashid, and we sat together twice. We will meet again. But we haven't come to any conclusion yet. Not yet able to finalize the report. We have to do some studies, to know. It is a national matter, nothing can be given suddenly. He could not say whether he could give the amendment within this month.
NCTB Chairman Professor Farhadul Islam said, "We are discussing this matter. There are amendments on a few issues. We will send those amendments to the educational institutions in April. Is there a delay in the amendment? In response to such a question, he said, that any issue cannot be amended at will. It has a process. We have to follow the process. Three months is not too late. Regarding the story of Sharif-Sharifa, he said, I do not know about it. It's up to them. If it comes to us through the ministry, we will amend it.
ZH
