Right education is not important to this government

Editorial Desk :
As has been anticipated, the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) pulled two controversial textbooks from grade VI and VII. Soon after the new books were distributed among students in the beginning of this year, some chapters of the history and social science books became a hot topic among the concerned quarters including guardians and students as well. The panel of writers not only plagiarized from online sources, more seriously they are also leveled with criticism for writing on Islam and its history in Bangladesh in a way that can grow a negative attitude in the mind of students towards the religion and its arrival in this part of the world.
Some historical information presented in the 7th grade textbook prepared for the 2023 academic year is not only grossly wrong but vulgarly distorted as well. It is a serious allegation that elements of historical narrative of Hindutva politics of neighbouring India are entering Bangladesh’s school course curriculum. Moreover, teaching the six grade students about the controversial science topic Darwinism was also not well planned. Not to mention the countless spelling mistakes in the books.
Naturally, these intentional as well as unintentional mistakes received a huge and scathing criticism from the people. While pulling these books, the NCTB in its notification said that necessary revisions would be made in some chapters of the history and social science books. Nevertheless, the rest of the chapters in the books can still be taught to students, it said.
However, now the question is can the economy of Bangladesh that is constantly plundered afford to make the revision and reprint the books again? To write textbooks, especially for children, is a very serious thing. But as it appears the authorities performed this serious task in a very amateurish fashion.
We do not know how much money was spent for writing and printing the textbooks-the amount must be huge-but a careful glance through them that are given to students free of cost gives us the same impression that writing and printing textbooks have become like
constructing Bangladesh’s roads with poor engineering, inadequate and substandard materials. The quality of the pages of the books and printing with hazy pictures of indistinct lines is so poor that they can hardly generate love and admiration in the minds of children for the books which is very vital.
It is a pity that the education has become unimportant in the hands of uneducated people who are holding high positions in the field. Naturally, textbooks for children education are found to be worthless and unfit for right kind of education.