Pearson apologises for ‘inappropriate’ textbook content

In the UK, Pearson has apologised for publishing ‘inappropriate content’ in its textbook Nursing: A Concept-Based Approach to Learning after being criticised on social media, reports the BBC.

A Facebook user posted a screenshot of a page from the textbook with advice on ‘cultural differences in response to pain’, with specific advice for ‘Arabs/Muslims’, ‘Asians’, ‘Blacks’, ‘Jews’ and ‘Hispanics’. The content was criticised widely on social media for encouraging racist stereotyping.

The controversy prompted Pearson to apologise on Twitter with the statement: ‘We agree that it is wrong. We have removed it from current electronic and future print editions and apologize for its publication.’

Pearson’s president of global development Tim Bozik also addressed the complaints in a video apology that the publisher uploaded to its YouTube channel.

In a further statement to the BBC, Pearson said it is ‘actively reviewing all of our nursing curriculum products to identify and remove any remaining instances of this inappropriate content that might appear in other titles’, amid accusations that the excerpt has appeared in other textbooks.

Category: International news