Indigenous people called in many names in textbooks
Saturday, 11 April 2009
Indigenous people hardly mind when they are called in many names, but academicians say it is a big problem for students when they are frequently called in different names in the textbooks of a particular class. But this is what has happened to textbooks from primary to secondary levels, reports UNB.
A review shows that words like 'Adibasi', 'Khudra Jatiswatta, 'Upazati', 'Pahari', 'Nritattik Jatigosthi' have been frequently used in various textbooks, confusing the learners which word should actually be used in naming them.
"There should be uniformity, if you want to call them 'Adibasi' you just call them 'Adibasi' in all books, don't confuse the students. I' m quite worried about it...what's the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) doing?" asked Prof Imtiaz Ahmed of Dhaka University's International Relations Department.
Dr Imtiaz, who works on ethnic minorities in Bangladesh, said that internationally they are called 'indigenous' or 'Adivasi' and that is the widely accepted word to name them. "But, whatever you use in textbooks that should be uniform, or else, the students will get confused," he told the news agency.
"However, there is another option-we can call them in their own clan names, such as, 'Chakma', 'Santal' and 'Garo' as they are called by their communities, but that is a bit difficult as there are over 50 such small groups," he added.
"Is it possible to call every community by its own name?" he asked. When contacted, Prof Monsoor Musa, an author and editor of textbooks from class I to V, said the committee with which he worked named the communities as 'Khudra Jatiswatta (ethnic minorities) as they have their own cultures and traditions.
A review shows that words like 'Adibasi', 'Khudra Jatiswatta, 'Upazati', 'Pahari', 'Nritattik Jatigosthi' have been frequently used in various textbooks, confusing the learners which word should actually be used in naming them.
"There should be uniformity, if you want to call them 'Adibasi' you just call them 'Adibasi' in all books, don't confuse the students. I' m quite worried about it...what's the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) doing?" asked Prof Imtiaz Ahmed of Dhaka University's International Relations Department.
Dr Imtiaz, who works on ethnic minorities in Bangladesh, said that internationally they are called 'indigenous' or 'Adivasi' and that is the widely accepted word to name them. "But, whatever you use in textbooks that should be uniform, or else, the students will get confused," he told the news agency.
"However, there is another option-we can call them in their own clan names, such as, 'Chakma', 'Santal' and 'Garo' as they are called by their communities, but that is a bit difficult as there are over 50 such small groups," he added.
"Is it possible to call every community by its own name?" he asked. When contacted, Prof Monsoor Musa, an author and editor of textbooks from class I to V, said the committee with which he worked named the communities as 'Khudra Jatiswatta (ethnic minorities) as they have their own cultures and traditions.