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HomeOpinionAre our children learning right? – Part II

Are our children learning right? – Part II

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Horrid and shameful

We refer to books and reputed newspapers/magazines for any factual or grammatical clarification and trust their expertise. If the authors are negligent and uninformed, no wonder the students who read their material will turn out to be like them. Education ministry should examine every Indian state about the accuracy of the curriculum and boot out the offending parties if their books or method of teaching failed to meet the sane requirements. If the teachers who reviewed the book weren’t educated enough to catch the glaringly obvious errors, then perhaps, we need to review the evaluation process, or re-evaluate the teachers themselves. Probably, this could be the result of semi-literates sneaking in to Textbook committees.

It is an irony that India suffered at the hands of “the English” for 200 years, and now “English” should suffer at the hands of India for eternity. Mistakes are not uncommon. Some mistakes can be funny, while others can be tragic. Finding mistakes in a text book can be entertaining and challenging, but the misleading information is hazardous to the student community, sadly depicting that some Indian classrooms are on a sticky wicket. It is said a student is only as good as the teacher; however, it can be edited to include textbooks.

Wake-up call for publishers

We do not know how many publishers are receptive to criticisms and willing to fix the textbook errors. Some errors aren’t merely imprecise, but the betrayal is contentious. As far as spelling, punctuation and grammar are concerned, they are clear obligations of the editors and proof-readers employed by the publishing house. The publisher should replace the books with the corrected ones at no cost to the schools and the erroneous volumes should be destroyed, else they might again find their way to markets and libraries.

Note to publishers

Free grammar and spell checkers are available! Even casual bloggers recognise the imperative to spell right. If you get something wrong online, readers and commenters will point it out, and the errors can be fixed in about 30 seconds. The errors in a print book’s first edition, in contrast, remain forever. Is it, perhaps, the publishers, in line with their cost-cutting exercise, chopped the functional needs of editors, proof-readers and scholars? Probably, they rely on the author to do everything. One thing is clear: The publisher didn’t read the book. The faulty publishers should deservedly be blacklisted.

It is possible the government, due to feasibility factor, could instruct the schools not to teach the “incorrect” portions, and not to set questions in exams on those “questionable” topics. School principals/teachers would admit in private that the errors have not only created problems in teaching but it may result in students learning the wrong lessons for life. But none would opt to go on record, fearing becoming victims in the hands of the higher officials.

What can be done?

Better yet, distribute the books and offer academic incentives to students who identify mistakes. School teachers’ associations and parent bodies should petition the government to recall the erroneous text books or issue a circular with corrections. If the government remains silent on the issue, it means the teachers have to teach the same chapters with bloopers till next academic year, which tantamount to sending wrong signals to the very concept of education.

The disgraceful examples of publishing false, misleading and otherwise objectionable information should drive the authorities to revisit all the subjects. Else, one fine day, we may find “India” missing in the world map from the atlas! While every state has its own sordid story, the textbook error episode is not unique to India. Texas State Board of Education found over 109,000 errors in textbooks in 2008.

Can there be any excuse or explanation for some text book error that showed a picture of, say, a compass with East and West on the wrong sides? The study of mathematics is all about accuracy. The equation has to be spot-on every time, consistency is everything. 2 + 2 has to be 4, and only 4. Any other answer threatens the very existence of the subject. If your geography text interchanges Nepal and Bhutan, is it acceptable? If a history text is historically not accurate, an English book is grammatically erroneous and badly spelt, Mathematics showing wrong solution, it illustrates so much of what is wrong with Indian public education.

Textbooks are supposed to be educationally inspiring and enlighten the pupils. And, our students believe absolutely what they read in textbooks, the dominant instructional materials in most classrooms. I hope the concerned parties are listening.

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)

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