Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 73
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 74
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Warning (512): Unable to emit headers. Headers sent in file=/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php line=853 [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 48]
Warning (2): Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php:853) [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 148]
Warning (2): Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php:853) [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 181]
Notice (8): Undefined variable: urlPrefix [APP/Template/Layout/printlayout.ctp, line 8]latest-news-updates/ncee-alleges-that-textbook-revision-in-karnataka-is-an-unnecessary-divisive-and-costly-exercise.html"/> LATEST NEWS UPDATES | NCEE alleges that textbook revision in Karnataka is an unnecessary, divisive, and costly exercise | Im4change.org
Resource centre on India's rural distress
 
 

NCEE alleges that textbook revision in Karnataka is an unnecessary, divisive, and costly exercise

-Press statement by the National Coalition on the Education Emergency (NCEE) dated June 2, 2022

We strongly urge the Government of Karnataka to:

1. Revoke the recent revisions to the textbooks, which are regressive in nature, and have been done in an arbitrary manner, without adherence to well-defined curriculum framework and processes.

2. Print and supply the textbooks which have been in use for many years, post the last revision. 

3. Focus energies on addressing the serious education emergency in the state, prepare a road-map, allocate sufficient resources and implement programs to enable the children of  marginalized and poor communities to overcome learning deprivation due to the pandemic.

Background

The government of Karnataka has recently undertaken revision of Kannada and Social Science textbooks, in which some chapters have been removed and few added. The process and substance of the textbook revision is deeply disturbing and antithetical to the core values of our education system and constitution, for several reasons:

Undemocratic

The Government of Karnataka constituted a committee of seven men who took the decisions to add and drop chapters, without the broad consultation that has characterized textbook preparation in the past. In sharp contrast, the 2014 Baraguru Ramachandrappa committee worked through 27 committees comprising 172 experts to revise the textbooks, and held several public consultations to hear diverse views. It is not known if the Chakratheertha committee held any public consultations in its process. The preparation of textbooks is a process that requires a high sense of responsibility, as textbooks are the primary resource to which lakhs of young minds will be exposed. Academic experts, teachers, and eminent citizens are usually consulted to get diverse inputs which enables the textbook revision exercise to stay free of biases of a few people, which process has not been followed.

Secondly, at the time the committee was setup, the Education Minister had announced that the committee would first submit a report which would be studied, and only then the revision would be done. However, there is no evidence that the committee submitted a report for public discussions, preceding the revision.

Non-representative

The composition of the textbook revision committee does not reflect the reality of Karnataka society. Almost all the members of the committee are Brahmin men. The chapters dropped consist of writings of Dalit writers and progressive writers, while the chapters added are written by Brahmins. It seems that the committee has pushed the ideology of the dominant religion/caste in this process. Lack of diversity and representativeness undermines the committee’s credibility. Denial of perspectives of those who have suffered social injustice over centuries, reinforces those injustices.

Regressive

Diversity and exposure to cultures other than our own is essential for broadening a student’s thinking, for developing respect for others, and for building a harmonious society. The revision violates these aims of education articulated in the eponymous position paper of the National Curriculum Framework 2005 (NCF 2005).  

One of the dropped chapters discusses the injustices of the caste system. Another dropped chapter discusses vegetarian and meat cuisine. A third chapter where content has been dropped is of the noted social reformer Periyaar, who provided a different perspective on the Ramayana. Casteist content has been added – for instance, a reference to the upanayanam ritual of Brahmin men, in the chapter on Basaveshwara, whose primary vision was of a casteless society.

The Baragur Ramachandrappa committee was setup to remove the errors and biases inserted into the textbooks by the previous committee, including a claim in the science textbook that the Dronacharya was  born through in-vitrio fertilization (test tube baby). The current revision also seems to have a similar belief that students need to be fed propaganda about the greatness of the dominant Hindu culture, to stimulate a false pride. True education would lie in providing diverse perspectives and discussing these in an open manner, to provide opportunities to develop critical thinking in children. One-sided propaganda loses the respect of the teacher and the taught, undermining the very values the content may seek to build.

Costs children of the state heavily

The majority of children of Karnataka have suffered a catastrophic situation during the pandemic, without access to structured learning opportunities and textbooks. They need a variety of learning materials, including textbooks, which should reflect the ideals of social justice, democracy, egalitarianism and India’s common cultural heritage (NCF 2005).

Unfortunately, this revision has cost the children of the state dearly — due to this exercise, textbook printing has got delayed for at least 3 months (which is an entire semester).

When politicians play curriculum games, it is the children who suffer.

National Coalition on the Education Emergency is a group of individuals, organizations and networks across the country which have come together to ‘resume and renew’ school education. The NCEE working groups produce research studies, curricular resources, guidelines for school opening to support governments, teachers, parents and communities to address the Education Emergency.

Please click here to access the full press release (PDF copy) dated June 2, 2022. 

For more info, please contact: 

National Coalition on the Education Emergency (NCEE)

Email ids: info@educationemergency.net ;

anusha.sharma@educationemergency.net 

Website: https://educationemergency.net/
 

 

Image Courtesy: Inclusive Media for Change/ Shambhu Ghatak