Odisha releases revised primary textbooks, invites feedback after 1,600 errors

The Odisha government has invited parents, teachers, educationists and the general public to review and share feedback on the revised textbooks for Classes 1 to 4. It comes weeks after errors in school textbooks triggered criticism and prompted disciplinary action against senior officials. In a public notice, the Department of School and Mass Education said the revised textbooks have been uploaded on the websites of the department, the Directorate of Teacher Education, the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), and the Odisha School Education Programme Authority (OSEPA).

Stakeholders can submit their comments and suggestions within seven days through the official email ID textbookscertodisha@gmail.com, or by contacting the Vidya Samiksha Kendra helpline at 1800-345-6722.

This initiative for improving the quality of school textbooks comes after more than 1,600 errors were reported in textbooks for Classes 1 to 8. The mistakes, ranging from spelling errors and factual inaccuracies to incorrect references to eminent personalities, sparked widespread criticism from teachers, parents as well as opposition parties.

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Scientist Isaac Newton was described as a pilot, historical monuments were misidentified, and there were inaccurate illustrations in textbooks. The controversy also drew attention after a popular Bollywood song was found in a Class 5 English textbook. It raised questions about the textbook preparation and review process.

High-level inquiry

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi ordered a high-level inquiry headed by Development Commissioner D.K. Singh to figure out how the errors occurred and identify those responsible. Based on findings, Odisha government suspended four senior officials, including former SCERT director Manoj Padhi, and initiated disciplinary proceedings against six other officials that were associated with textbook preparation process.

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The inquiry panel found serious lapses in content verification, proofreading and quality control during publication of the textbooks. It recommended a series of reforms aimed at preventing similar errors in future editions.

Key recommendations of the inquiry committee

• Creation of a Master Errata Register to record and track textbook corrections.
• Establishment of a dedicated Quality Assurance (QA) Cell within SCERT.
• Implementation of a multi-stage proofreading system for all textbooks.
• Mandatory approval of content before textbooks are sent for printing.
• Pilot testing of new textbooks before their publication and distribution.

School and Mass Education Department Commissioner-cum-Secretary Dr N. Thirumala Naik had earlier said that the errors were being verified in consultation with subject experts and that corrected versions of the textbooks would be uploaded for public review before being finalised for distribution.