From: Deccan Herald
Saffronisation of textbooks: School bundh on Feb 28
Bangalore, February 15 2012, DHNS:
Protesting against saffronisation of textbooks, ‘Shikshana Komuvadikarana Virodhi Vedike’ will lay siege to the Department of State Education Research and Training office on February 23. It has also called for a State-wide school and college bundh on February 28.
The association comprising representatives of Student Federation of India (SFI), Democratic Youth Federation of India, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee, Dalits Students Federation, All India Youth Federation and other organisations have demanded that the school textbooks be stopped from going to print.
New committee
The members also demanded that a new committee, including Jnanpith awardees, reputed authors and intellectuals, be constituted to compile textbooks for students.
The class V textbook introduces as many as 168 popular personalities to children. They are cramming information into students’ minds. What is the point in revising the syllabi?, asked Ananth Naik N, SFI State president.
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From: The Times of India
We won't recall textbooks: Kageri
Sruthy Susan Ullas & Garima Prasher, TNN | Feb 16, 2012, 02.07AM IST
BANGALORE: Notwithstanding the controversy over alleged saffronisation of class 5 and 8 Social Science textbooks, the Department of State Education Research and Training (DSERT) has gone ahead with the printing of the textbooks.
"The textbooks have already gone for print. The orders for 300 titles and 5 crore books have been given. We have called for a meeting with the Pathya Pusthaka Rachana Samiti, where we will justify the details given in the book," HS Rama Rao, MD, DSERT, said.
Minister for primary and secondary education Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri while confirming that the printing process is on, said the books will not be withdrawn. "An expert committee has prepared the textbook. It's completely based on the National Curriculum Framework."
It's after 15 years that textbooks are being reviewed in the state. The Social Science textbooks of Classes 5 and 8, that will be introduced in classes starting next year, were embroiled in controversy as different groups, including some prominent litterateurs, raised concern over some "deliberate omissions and additions, use of certain words, using matters out of context and tweaking of facts".
People's Union of Civil Liberties (PUCL) has given a memorandum to the CM seeking withholding of the textbooks alleging that the syllabus was planned by the government at a national level and BJP was now tweaking it.
Reacting to the allegations, GS Mudambadithaya, coordinator, NCF Curriculum revision and textbook preparation, said: "Those who are protesting have not seen the final version of the draft. If they had, all these problems could have been avoided. I am not a BJP man. I do not belong to any party. I am an educationist working for 55 years in the field. The content is prepared by teachers from all parts of the state, belonging to various communities. The book is reviewed at four different levels. Over 500 teachers go over it including a committee of 35 experts appointed by the government. We have included 90% of their suggestions."
This syllabus of the textbook has been framed when Congress was in power in 2006-'07. It was sent to the government for approval in 2008.
