The National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) has recommended corrections for 147 errors found in 31 textbooks for four secondary classes in the academic year 2024.

A high-level committee formed by NCTB has finalized these amendments and recently sent them to the Ministry of Education.

The new curriculum was implemented last year for classes I, VI, and VII, and this year for classes II, III, VIII, and IX.

According to NCTB sources, an expert is assigned to each book to correct errors in the textbooks. They identify the errors and submit them to NCTB's high-level committee.

Recently, this committee sent a detailed report to the Ministry of Education regarding the mistakes and necessary corrections in the 31 books across grades VI, VII, VIII, and IX.

NCTB officials have said that instructions have already been given to correct the errors.

According to these instructions, a finalized list has been prepared for correcting errors in textbooks. It will soon be distributed to every school so that teachers and students can assist in identifying these mistakes.

Upon reviewing the report, it was found that there are 77 mistakes in 11 books of class IX, 49 mistakes in 10 books of class VIII, 11 mistakes in five books of class VII, and 10 mistakes in five books of class VI. The maximum number of mistakes, 17, was found in the Class IX Science (Investigative Study) book.

NCTB chairman Prof Md Farhadul Islam said that among the errors, spelling mistakes are the most common.

Citing some examples, on page 136 of the Science (Investigative Study) book of class VIII, erroneous information is provided regarding the geographical coordinates of Bangladesh.

It states that the point of intersection of the Tropic of Cancer and the 90-degree west longitude falls in Bangladesh, implying a latitude of 23.6 degrees north and a longitude of 90 degrees west.

However, the correct information is that the point of intersection falls at 90 degrees east longitude, placing Bangladesh at approximately 23.6 degrees north latitude.

Similarly, on page 162 of the same book, inaccuracies are found in the description of the human body. The length of the kidney is stated as 1,012 cm, with a width of 56 cm, which is incorrect.

However, the recommended correction states that the kidney's length is approximately 10-12 cm, and its width ranges from 5-6 cm.

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