The National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) has moved to change the picture of a pair of scales used as the symbol of wisdom in the Class 6 Information and Communication Technology (ICT) textbook for the 2027 academic year. On Thursday night it ordered printing of the book to be suspended for the time being, with the aim of keeping textbooks free of controversy and suited to students. It also plans to collect copies already sent to the field, correct them and hand them out to students again.
Professor Md Riazul Islam, the NCTB’s chief editor, said the books that have been delivered will be collected and returned to students once the necessary corrections are made. The step was taken to make sure students do not receive wrong information through their books, he said.
The “Data and Information” chapter of the 2027 Class 6 ICT book presents the idea of a knowledge pyramid. It shows four levels: data, information, knowledge and wisdom. Each level has its own symbol to make the idea easy to grasp: a circular chart for data, an atom- or network-like symbol for information, a human brain for knowledge and a pair of scales for wisdom.
Because the scales are a political party’s election symbol, the picture drew discussion and criticism. The NCTB moved to change the symbol after taking the matter into account.
Sources at the board said about 3.8 million copies of the Class 6 ICT book are being printed for the 2027 academic year, and printing of most of them is already finished. People involved in the printing said collecting and correcting the books could take extra time and money. What matters now, however, is making sure the corrected books reach students on time.
The revised Class 6 ICT book for the 2025 academic year also used a picture of scales as the symbol of wisdom. The following year a picture of a human brain was used at that level. The scales were then added back in the book for the 2027 academic year.
No single symbol for wisdom is universally accepted. Owls, books and other symbols stand for wisdom in different cultures and traditions. The corrected book therefore has room for a suitable symbol that presents the idea of wisdom to students simply, clearly and neutrally. The NCTB has not yet said which picture will be used as the new symbol.
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