Decolonising school textbooks and celebrating our roots need positive attention, experts agree, but sweeping revisions made while keeping educationists out, is hardly the answer
In 2017, the Maharashtra education department had revised textbooks for Class VII and IX, removing chapters on Mughal rulers and Western history, including the French Revolution, Greek philosophy, and American War of Independence. The idea was to make the syllabus more Maharashtra-centric. Pic/Sameer Markande
This time, Karnataka is in the news for education. And, it has led to a state-wide flutter. The controversy was triggered with the printing of new school textbooks that incorporated sweeping changes proposed by a committee helmed by contentious writer Rohith Chakrathirtha. In 2021, the former mathematics professor was appointed chairperson of Karnataka’s textbook review committee, and has been accused by critics of “saffronising” school textbooks.