Textbook Fraud

December 2nd, 2007

On Friday, just about every outlet reported that UK children had plummeted from ranking 4th in the world on science to 14th. Much of the blame for this was laid at the door of “dumbed down” exams, though if anything I’d say they were fiendishly difficult. However, a small article in today’s Guardian reported:

Exam boards are to review the way school textbooks are endorsed after leading authors complained that they are being leant on to write more simplistic texts to win the multi-million pound contracts.

Now, that comes as no surprise - dumb exams need dumb textbooks. But a far more worrying rumour appeared further down the page:

One author of a science textbook, who asked not to be named, was told to write a factually incorrect answer because the mistake had been made in the curriculum and the book had to match.

If this is true, I’m really hoping it was a temporary leave of sanity by some junior clerk. This is only one step away from trying to redefine Pi to square it with an existing publication.

Entry Filed under: General

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