Calcutta, Jan. 21: A primary teachers’ association opposed to the CPM has alleged that the government is laundering funds for the education-for-all programme in the name of training English teachers.

General secretary of the Bengal Primary Teachers’ Association Kartick Saha today alleged that the government is wasting Rs 1 crore provided by the UK government to better primary education in the state. “It would have been better if they had utilised the money to publish better course materials for the primary classes instead of wasting it on the so-called teacher-training programme,” Saha said.

“It is an eyewash. Under the guise of the training programme, they (the government) are filling up the coffers. How can a teachers’ training be fruitful if the course material does not meet the basic standards?” Saha asked.

“Apart from alphabets, the textbook for Class II published by the government does not have anything. What will children learn from a book that says ‘M P — shitkale khai bandhakopi’?”

Saha also asked: “Why do teachers need to be trained to teach English in Class I? They are already teaching Class II students. The government should have given more importance to upgrading textbooks by referring it to a panel of experts experienced in preparing study materials. The proposal we had sent from our side fell on deaf ears.”

Bengali textbooks, too, need upgrading, said Saha. “The books now used have varying spellings for the same word.”