DSERT to seek students feedback on textbooks

BANGALORE: With great expectations, the officials of Department of State Education Research and Training (DSERT) have geared up to introduce textbooks with new syllabus for classes 5 and 8 this June. Marred by controversy of alleged saffronisation, the Karnataka Text Book Society (KTBS) has decided to collect  students’ feedback and review the textbooks after they are rolled out.G S Mudambadittaya, head of KTBS, said that feedback from students was crucial to determine if further changes were needed.“We have published the textbooks to help students,  so we will take their feedback after the textbooks are introduced. We have garnered feedback from teachers,  who were given the initial drafts of the new textbooks,” he said.The need to collect feedback comes after several organisations had alleged that textbook contents were saffronised, especially in social science subject.“Each textbook has been reviewed by at least 500 teachers across the state. The content drafts were sent to DIETs, Minister’s committee, Public Instruction Commissioner’s committee and State Editorial Board. Those who do not wish to accept our history or culture raised voices against the books,” said Mudambadittaya.According to an official from DSERT, the feedback will be collected through a committee.“Once the textbooks are out, it is going to be a hotcake. Who will the committee comprise is the big question,” the official said.The official suggested that the committee should comprise people who were not involved in the process of preparing the syllabus. When schools reopen in June this year, close to 12 lakh copies of all the six subjects of classes five and eight will be distributed, with books being printed in seven languages including Kannada and English.