Textbooks studied by schoolchildren have words to mean a woman that carry degrading shades and overtones of helplessness, lustfulness, wantonness, sensuousness, entertainment and various other derogatory words that demonstrate how a woman is treated in a patriarchal society.
Such words mentioned as synonyms for nari (woman) are found in Bangla grammar books used as texts from grade four to 10 in government and non-government schools and madrassahs across the country.
But, these textbooks do not contain any entry for Purush (man) in the chapter dealing with synonyms.
Parents, rights activists and educationists observe that depiction of women degradingly in the textbooks reflects the sorry state of the country’s education system that may hinder sound mental growth of future generations.
‘It’s alarming that schoolchildren study textbooks demeaning women, which may help develop patriarchal mentality among the male students to look down upon women in society while the female students may lose self-confidence,’ said rights activist Khushi Kabir, expressing her concern.
‘Depicting women derogatorily also goes against the spirit of building a discrimination-free society that we aspire for and also has been endorsed in the country’s sustainable development goals,’ she said.
‘I was shocked when my daughter asked me whether I am abala [helpless] as she learned the word as a synonym for women in her Bangla grammar book,’ said Rokeya Sultana, a single mother.
Bangla Bhashar Byakaran, written by martyred intellectuals Munier Chowdhury and Mofazzal Haider Chowdhury in 1969 and published by National Curriculum and Textbook Board, is the textbook for grade IX and X in all schools and madrassahs.
Page 188 of the book mentions nari (woman) having abala (helpless), kamini (lustful), mahila (a woman confined to home), streelok (housewife) and ramani (sensuous) as its synonyms.
Besides, teachers at schools and private coaching centres use additional Bangla grammar books such as Bhasha Shoily: Bangla Byakaran O Rachana, written by Dr Delwar Mofiz and published by Grantha Bitan, for improving skills of the pupils of grade IX and X to solve creative questions.
Page 221 of the book mentions ramani, rama, streelok, patni, bama, abala, angana, manabi, manabika, awrat, jenana, bala, mohila, kamini, bhamini, banita, lalana, angana, bharja, pramada and shimantini. Kamini, banita and pramada respectively stand for lustful, darling and entertainer.
Grantha Bitan staff said the book was hugely sought for by the grade IX and X students as many teachers of both government and non-government schools recommended it for solving creative questions.
Many schools use Bhasha Reeti: Bangla Byakaran Nirmity, published by Bangla Prakash and written jointly by AKM Abdur Rab and Tapankar Chakrabarti, as text for grade VIII students, which on page 309 also gives similar synonyms for nari.
Though the NCTB does not publish Bangla grammar textbooks for primary schoolchildren, head teachers of many non-government schools said they included Bangla grammar books published by private publishers in their curriculum to make their pupils more advanced than students of other schools which follow only the NCTB curriculum.
One of such books Lal Sabuj Bangla Byakaran O Nirmiti, written by Dr Shamiuzzaman and published by Tanha Publications, on page 22 mentions abala, Ramani, streelok, kanta and bala as synonym for nari.
Khorshed Alam, owner of Tanha Publications, said that the book was used as text at Ideal School, Viqarunnisa Noon School, South Point School and many other reputed non-government schools.
Many government school teachers at classes and private coaching centres also recommended it to the students, he said.
Dhaka University’s retired Bangla professor Abul Kashem Fazlul Haque told New Age that neither nari (woman) nor purush (man) had any appropriate synonym in Bangla as did male or female in English.
‘Depending on status in society, women have been described with some words which have been stated in these books as synonyms,’ Professor Haque said.
He suggested revision of textbooks to portray women with dignity. ‘If the book written by Munier Chowdhury and Mofazzal Haider Chowdhury in 1969 contains some words not relevant to present society, it needs to be corrected. And other textbooks should be written keeping in mind an enlightened and sensible future generation,’ he suggested.
For making the textbooks relevant to the present time, NCTB member (curriculum) Professor Md Moshiuzzaman said, the board had already decided to publish a new textbook for Bangla grammar for grade IX and X students. ‘Application for appointing writers will be called soon,’ he said.
‘We gave advisement in newspapers asking schools not include textbooks published by private publishers in their curriculum and also requested Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education to take action in this regard,’ Moshiuzzaman said.
DSHE director general Professor Md Mahbubur Rahman said that stern action would be taken against schools forcing children to study additional books published by private publishers.
- NewAge/8-3-18
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