Photo: Collected
The government is bringing large-scale revisions to school textbooks from the upcoming 2027 academic year, and new content is also being added. The new books will contain the history of the Liberation War, the political history of post-independence Bangladesh and a detailed account of the July mass uprising of 2024.
The National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) has taken this initiative as part of the government’s electoral pledge to present the correct history of the Liberation War. Under this, new reading materials are being added for students of classes three to ten on Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman, former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia, the events of 7 November 1975, the mass uprising of 1990 and the July mass uprising of 2024.
An NCTB document that has come into the hands of the media says a total of 14 additions and revisions have been made in the Bangla Literature, Bangladesh and Global Studies, and History of Bangladesh and World Civilisation books. In this regard, NCTB Chairman Professor Mohammad Fakhrul Mawla told the media, ‘The changes of 2027 are mainly additions and revisions to the existing books. Not too much is changing in this. If any major change is to be brought, it will come in the 2028 curriculum.’
Earlier, on 8 September, Education Minister ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon had told the Jatiya Sangsad that the causes and course of the July mass uprising, the killings during the movement, the sacrifice of the martyrs, the role of women and the historical significance of this uprising would be included in the national curriculum in a manner appropriate to the age of students.
The education minister further said the issues of enforced disappearances, killings, money laundering, the electoral system, the Pilkhana tragedy, killings of journalists and interference in the media during the tenure of the past Awami League government would be presented in the history book of classes nine-ten.
What is changing in the 2027 textbooks
One of the notable additions in the NCTB document is Ziaur Rahman’s ‘We Revolt’ and the declaration of independence. The topic will be taught briefly in classes three to seven and in detail in classes eight to ten.
The biographies of Ziaur Rahman and Khaleda Zia will be added to the ‘Our Memorable Leaders’ chapter of the class five ‘Bangladesh and Global Studies’ book. At the same time, the essay ‘Memories of the War of Independence’ written by Ziaur Rahman will find a place in the Bangla book of classes nine-ten.
Other additions related to the Liberation War include a short lesson on the seven Bir Sreshthas for class six and a passage on ‘Brigade Forces of the Liberation War’ for class eight. Besides, the organisational outline of the Liberation War, including the historic Teliapara meeting of 4 April 1971, will find a place in the book of classes nine-ten.
Several new lessons are also being added on the history of post-independence Bangladesh. In the books from class six up to the higher classes, the history of the ‘Sepoy-People’s Revolution’ of 7 November 1975 will be explained in detail step by step. Alongside, a chapter titled ‘Contribution of Begum Khaleda Zia in the mass uprising of 1990’ will be included in the books of class eight and classes nine-ten.
On the July mass uprising of 2024, ‘The story of Shaheed Anas’ is being added to the class four book and information related to the ‘July Mass Uprising Memorial Museum’ to the book of classes nine-ten.
The 2028 curriculum and new books
NCTB Chairman Professor Mawla told the media that the organisation’s ‘Curriculum Development and Revision Core Committee’ will start work on the 2028 curriculum from this month. In his words, a curriculum cannot be changed in a day, it develops gradually.
Before that, four new books will be introduced for classes four and six in 2027. Students of class four will get books on sports and ‘Culture of Bangladesh’. Two books named ‘Technical Education’ and ‘Learning with Happiness’ are coming for class six. Besides, a new lesson named ‘Third Language’ will be added to the class six Bangla book and information on artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies to the information and communication technology (ICT) book.
In this regard, Mahdi Amin, adviser to the prime minister on education and primary and mass education, has said the government is bringing epoch-making changes to the country’s education system to build world-class skilled human resources and a technology-dependent future generation. From the next academic year, special priority is being given to modern subjects such as artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, machine learning and cyber security in the textbooks from classes six to ten. At the same time, technical education is being institutionally linked with mainstream education and made compulsory for all students.
