HYDERABAD, Dec 13:The Guptas ruled north India from 500 to 1500 A D* The dispute between Catholics and Protestants in England led to the establishment of the United States of America*Sir William Jones, an English scholar, started the Asian Society in 1879* The East European empire, which was established in 500 A D and lasted for 1,000 years, was wiped out because of the forays of nomadic and barbaric tribesThese are some of the "facts" which students of Class IX and X are learning from their history books in Andhra Pradesh and which will be disputed in the forthcoming session of the AP History Congress (APHC).A three-day session of the APHC, to be hosted by the University of Hyderabad, is scheduled to start on January 10. It is expected to pay particular attention to history textbooks prescribed for Class IX and X. Prof V Ramakrishna, one of the secretaries of the congress, said, "The main agenda of the congress is to construct a comprehensive history for Andhra Pradesh." He added, "The APHC will take up the school curriculum issue earnestly."APHC members complain that history books were written by "unqualified" people. Srinivasa Reddy, APHC member says, "The task of preparing history textbooks was handed over to some persons who have no interest in the subject. There are contradictions in chronological matters between two books on the same subject."There are also complaints about misrepresentation. "The textbooks written by the British were aimed at spreading their divide-and-rule theory," says Prof Ramakrishna, "and they are still being continued. These books do not contribute to the spirit of national integration. On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Independence, these books should be withdrawn and rewritten." The state's report card on history teaching in schools is quite poor. In 1994, a panel of experts appointed, by the National Council for Educational Research and Training, to examine the quality of history textbooks in AP passed critical remarks against them.
