From ‘Invaders’ to ‘Ujjayini Meridian’ — the Disservice Textbook Revisions do to Students
Paromita Chakrabarti | 28 July 2024 | The Indian Express
A birthday party is usually a good barometer to gauge the life and interests of a child and her peers outside the ambit of home. The conversations range from the tyranny of one’s parents that does not allow them access to what certainly is the best video game on the planet to the new storybook that has been acquired which is so riveting that the Maths homework remains undone; the good fortune of the friend who has been given a cellphone of his very own, to the spectacular goal one scored overcoming formidable opponents only for the games teacher to declare it to be on the off-side.
Sometimes, it veers towards staid themes — studies, for instance — and the appeal or lack thereof of a particular subject, topic or teacher: “Ma’am said all conquerors left behind a trail of destruction. But that’s really not true. The Mughals were certainly the worst. My father told me about the number of temples they destroyed! The Hindu rulers never did this.”; “It’s not part of the syllabus but the periodic table is so interesting. I found a book at home, The Disappearing Spoon. I can get it for you if you’d like to read”; “You all laughed at me when I said India had a meridian of its own before the Greenwich Meridian. My sister’s book says so now.”….