Inaccuracies in the fourth-grade Social Studies textbook, and the initial digital draft of the teachers’ handbook under the Kerala syllabus have provoked strong criticism from educators.

They caution that these errors could mislead young students about India’s history and its freedom struggle, according to a report by The New Indian Express.

What were the mistakes?

The textbook’s Chapter 2, India Ente Rajyam (India My Nation), contains several errors.

One activity incorrectly claims Sarojini Naidu was the first woman president of the Indian National Congress (INC), when, in fact, Annie Besant held that role.

Sarojini Naidu was the first Indian woman to preside over an INC session. Additionally, the book states that Subhash Chandra Bose founded the Indian National Army, whereas historical records confirm it was established in 1942 by Captain Mohan Singh with support from Rash Behari Bose’s Indian Independence League.

The textbook also includes a map of India that omits Assam and Jharkhand, yet requires students to identify states based on it.

Teachers’ handbook errors

The initial draft of the teachers’ handbook exacerbated the issue by claiming that Subhash Chandra Bose “fled to Germany fearing the British.”

After receiving criticism, the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) revised the handbook and uploaded a corrected version online. However, the printed textbooks, already distributed to students, remain unchanged.

Issues in other textbooks

The same teacher highlighted errors in other subjects, noting, “Errors appear in maths textbook, too. Shapes and colours used in exercises have been mixed up over the pages. These may seem minor, but they affect the learning process.”

SCERT’s action plan

SCERT Director Jayaprakash R K admitted to the errors, stating, “We noticed the mistake on Subhash Chandra Bose in the teachers handbook. Since it was a draft, we corrected it and published the new version on the website.

However, the printed textbooks with errors are already in circulation. Teachers will be instructed to make corrections in class, and the books will be reprinted before the next academic year.”

Political reactions

The Akhila Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) accused the SCERT teachers’ handbook of portraying Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose as a coward, claiming it stated he fled to Germany out of fear of the British regime, reported The New Indian Express.

On Sunday, August 17, ABVP sent letters to the central education minister and the NCERT director to address the issue. The organization also criticised the omission of Assam and Jharkhand from the textbook’s map in Chapter 2.