BJD president Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday slammed the BJP government in Odisha over providing error-ridden textbooks to school students, stating that it has "shaken the very foundation of children's future." Terming textbooks as the "first source of truth" for children, the former chief minister said that "when that trust is compromised, the damage goes far beyond a printing error."
Over 1,600 errors flagged in textbooks
A section of teachers in government-run schools had pointed out more than 1,600 errors in new textbooks of classes 1 to 8, including spelling mistakes and incorrect names of eminent personalities. The Opposition BJD has been demanding the resignation of Odisha's School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond and a CBI probe into the matter. The party's youth and students wings have launched a demonstration in front of the minister's residence.
Patnaik's social media post
Expressing deep concern over the errors in the textbooks, Patnaik, in a social media post, said, "School textbooks are not just books. For every child, they are the first source of truth. A child may question many things, but never the words printed in a school textbook." He added, "Those are articles of absolute faith and trust. Through textbooks, an entire generation learns not only facts but also builds faith in the system and trust in society."
The leader of the opposition in the Assembly further said, "When that trust is compromised, the damage goes far beyond a printing error. It strikes at the very foundation of our children's future."
BJP government accused of betrayal
Odisha's BJP government has "betrayed" that sacred trust with its callous handling of the matter, he said, adding that the victims were lakhs of students who are the future of Odisha, "the torch bearers of tomorrow." The BJD president said that a government may correct a textbook in the next edition, "but who will take the responsibility for shattering the faith of an entire generation of Odia children? Who will answer for the wound inflicted on their trust, a wound that no revision can heal?"
Government action: officials suspended
The state government has suspended four senior officials, including the former director of the Directorate of Teacher Education and SCERT, Manoj Padhi, for the errors in textbooks. The action was taken based on the report submitted by a high-level inquiry committee headed by Development Commissioner D K Singh. Departmental disciplinary proceedings have also been initiated against six other officials involved in the printing of the textbooks.
Minister's response
Minister Gond said, "Whatever errors were found in the textbooks have been taken seriously, and action has been taken against those found responsible for the negligence." The chief minister has also directed that corrected copies of the textbooks be sent to every government school so that teachers could use the revised versions while teaching. "The corrected books will be used in classrooms to ensure that teaching is carried out properly without affecting students' learning," the minister added.
