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REFAI SALAFIS
Macmillan, publishers of a large number of school textbooks, finds itself in a spot of bother after allowing wrong information to be printed in the science textbooks for standards III, IV, V. Chapter V, page 41 of Exploring Science says that a new born baby has 330 bones, when in fact a new born, like adults, has 206 bones.
Another entry in the book on page 68, states that the 1995 solar eclipse was the millenium's last one. In Book 3 for class III, there is a reference to weaver birds: ``A weaver bird builds many nests....a number of nests in the same place confuse the snakes.'' The reality is that a male weaver builds many nests, and when one is chosen by the female, he stops work on the others. ``This is purely a mating rite and is not meant to confuse snakes or any predators,'' says Preston Ahimas, Regional Head, World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Chennai.
There are a total of 37 factual errors (see box) that have crept into the publisher's books which are prescribed by many schools throughout thecountry.
Poonam Kohli, series editor, Macmillan India Ltd, Bangalore, defends the books saying that Macmillan spent three years checking and re-checking the contents of the series before printing them. ``What are being catalogued as errors is correct information, because the authors have referred different sources,'' she says.
Already one lakh copies have been sold since the series was first published in 1996 and Macmillan's greatest achievement, says Poonam Kohli, is that the books are being used by first-generation learners.
She defends the authors, Dr J M D'souza who is on the National Council for Education and Research Technology's workshop panel and Dr Kirti D'souza, a science teacher at Xavier's Institute, Ahmedabad.
Regarding the error relating to the solar eclipse, she says, ``Professor Yashpal (former United Grants Commission chairman) himself said this in 1995. How could we not trust his words?'' But she agreed that this information lapse required correcting.
Educational institutions inChennai greeted this news with shock. ``It becomes a very serious issue if teachers have overlooked the errors for three years,'' says M Simon, Principal, CSI Jesse Moses MHSS, Chennai.
Soundari Duraiappa, Principal, SBOA Matric and HSS, Chennai, blamed the publishers for trying to capitalise on the reputation of its authors. ``Books claiming to have been reviewed by a person in a high position are merely meant for business purposes,'' she says.
Only two out of the 11 schools contacted, said they had a reviewing board to screen textbooks.
Some examples of wrong facts printed by MacMillan
Published: The Arctic Tern flies 1,27,000 km between the two poles twice a year. (Book III, pg 58)
Fact:It flies 25,000 miles round-trip (www.state.ak.us/local/akpages/fish.game/notebook/bird/terns.html)
Published: Bats can fly but they are more like foxes because bats have hair, ears, teeth, and give birth to baby bats. (Book III, pg 23)
Fact: The comparison is wrong. (Preston Ahimas, WWF,Chennai)
Published: Bats and moths find their food in the dark with the help of their sense of smell. (Book III, pg 24)
Fact: Moths equally rely on eyes too. In fact, the sense of smell is less developed in moths. (Preston Ahimas)
Published: Bean plants are shown growing upright. (Book IV, pg 92)
Fact: They are climbers.
Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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