The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Sunday said Punjab School Education Board’s (PSEB) failure to finalise the syllabus and study material for the subject of history for the Class XI and XII is ‘criminal negligence’.

In a press statement, SAD leader and former education minister Daljeet Singh Cheema said the board is offering the syllabus and study material in installments and till date only one chapter of history for class XII had been released even as one-and-half-month has lapsed in the current academic session.

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Since the first chapter itself was full of blunders, factual errors and indiscreet language offensive to the religious and cultural sentiments of all the communities, the board conceded to make suitable amends.

Cheema said shockingly the board has only English version of the first chapter of the subject of history for class XI while overwhelming majority of the students opt for Punjabi as medium of instructions in Punjab schools.

Thus, nearly 90 per cent students of history in this class have no study material, even one chapter of study material despite that the students have to appear in their half yearly examinations in September and nearly half of the syllabus is normally covered by this month, he said.

Perhaps, it may be unparallel in the academic world that not to talk of books, the board has not decided on the syllabus itself till mid of the session. This seriously flawed approach has ruined the acadmic life, said Cheema.

The SAD leader said the expert committee appointed to set up the syllabus and study material in its wisdom had rightly suggested to continue the previous syllabus for the current academic session hoping that the new syllabus and study material would be prepared and be ready much before the beginning of the new academic session 2019-20. Unfortunately, the suggestion was turned down without applying mind by powers that be, he added.

Former education minister suggested syllabus be prepared immediately and made public and the study material prepared on war footing and instantly made available to the students to save their precious year of academic life.

Cheema said the government should not adopt adamant attitude and make it point of prestige but instead retract to previous syllabus and study material and defer the change to next year.