Two ministries trade blames over textbook fiasco

Two ministries have indulged in mudslinging, even as those responsible for errors in textbooks remain unnamed.

Although the NCTB appointed a two-member committee to investigate the matter, the blame game between the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education and the Ministry of Education means that those responsible for the blunder in the textbooks continue to evade being identified.

The primary ministry has blamed the education ministry for staffing 20 of the 24 positions in the primary wing of NCTB (National Curriculum and Textbook Board) with ineligible people of its choice.

Not ready to take it lying down, the education ministry returned the blame, accusing the primary and mass education ministry of delaying with submission of manuscripts which 'forced it to go to print without proof checking'.

The education ministry prints the books through the NCTB and distributes it free of cost.

Books and other teaching aids worth over Tk 2.25 billion were distributed by the NCTB in the last eight years during the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government's tenure.

All books between grade 6 and 9 were printed by presses at home.

However, on receiving aid from the World Bank for the purpose of printing primary level books, some of them had to be sent out of the country for print to ensure international benchmark.

This year about 5 million books have been printed from a press in India. However, those books have not reached until Monday.

Mass Education Additional Secretary Gias Uddin told bdnews24.com on Monday, "There are two wings in the NCTB-Primary and Secondary. The education ministry has staffed 20 of the 24 positions in the primary wing with ineligible people."

He said the 24 posts were created at their behest but the education ministry had manned them with people of their choice.

He added there are no efficient people in the primary curriculum. If this is not put right, such instances would be repeated, he warned.

Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid told bdnews24.com, "The primary education ministry submitted the manuscripts late this time round."

He added that the manuscripts were received when there was hardly any time to check before going for print.

Conceding the delay, Gias said owing to the World Bank aid, certain permissions from the bank were necessary which caused the delay. He, however, said there was "not too much of a delay'.

He said his ministry wanted Jhenaidah PTI Superintendent Salma Nargis (currently Reaching Out of School Children Project deputy director) with the NCTB. But he claimed that the education ministry had turned the proposal down.

NCTB Chairman Prof Narayan Chandra Saha and other officials of the organisation were tightlipped on the issue.

Mass education ministry embarrassed

The mass education ministry, expressing concern and embarrassment at the faux pas in the textbooks, has written to the education ministry on the issue.

Writing to the secretary to Secondary and Senior Education Department, the mass education ministry has called for identifying those behind the goof up.

In another letter to the NCTB chairman, the ministry has asked him to identify the cause of the errors and reply within seven working days.

Gias Uddin said the next steps would be decided after they receive replies to the letters.

Wake-up after 8 days

Despite doing nothing over the issue for the last eight days, the education ministry has suddenly woken out of its slumber.

The ministry has instituted a two-member committee comprising NCTB Chief Editor Pritish Kumar Sarkar and senior expert Lana Homayra Khan, designating them as OSDs.

Secondary and Higher Secondary Additional Secretary Ruhi Rahman is convenor of a three-strong committee to probe and identify the mistakes , pinpoint the ones responsible and suggest measures to be taken.

The committee is to submit its report within seven working days.

The education minister also convened a press conference on the issue on Tuesday.

A senior official with the mass education ministry has criticised the silence of the education ministry over the incident.

"This time round, there are several mistakes in the primary textbooks. The education ministry is taking no visible initiative even though the NCTB operates under it," the official said.