Stop govt from rushing through new textbooks, BJP to urge governor

The BJP is planning to seek Governor Vajubhai Vala’s intervention to stop the state government from rushing through the introduction of new textbooks in the 2017-18 academic year. There is confusion over when the new textbooks, for classes 1 to 10 in schools affiliated to the state board as per the curricula recommended by Baragur Ramachandrappa, will be introduced.

While Minister for Primary and Secondary Education Tanveer Sait had stated that the new textbooks would be introduced in the 2018-19 academic year, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah recently asked education department officials to make arrangements for introducing the textbooks in the next academic year (2017-18).

BJP MLCs Ramachandra Gowda, Arun Shahapur, S V Sankanur, Tara Anuradha and Ganesh Karnik visited the office of the Directorate of State Educational Research and Training (textbooks) and came to the conclusion that the new textbooks cannot be introduced in the next academic year.

“The Baragur Ramachandrappa committee till today has submitted its recommendations for new textbooks only for languages. The recommendations pertaining to other subjects are yet to come. The recommendations have to be vetted by the office of the commissioner for public instruction. Besides, tenders have to be invited for printing the textbooks,” Karnik said. It would serve no purpose to rush through the new textbooks, he said and added that the BJP would seek an appointment with the Governor to explain the state of affairs.