UNIFORMITY OF SCHOOL BOOKS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 225, 20 September 1905, Page 5

UNIFORMITY OF SCHOOL BOOKS.

EDUCATION BOARD DISCUSSION. The question of the uniformity of school hooks was again raised at the mepting of the Kducation Board to-day. Mr (freenslartp nrjred that the present haphazard system was both expensive and harmful. There was no uniformity of books whatevpr. Pome teachers choose one and some another, according as ttipy think fit. This was a blot, he considered, on the system. With respect to a book like Warner's History, he considered that if it contained passa»es that clashed with the religious convictions and sensibilities of a section of the eomnrani'y it should be expunged from the school list. He suggested that the inspectors should be advised to brinjr about as near us possible a uniformity of school books in the discnet. Mr Bacmall said that the feeling of tip I-duration Conference had been !>£anwt uniformity. Most of the inspectors had approved of books being provided by the schools. They r>bjecte*L however, to any uniform system of boole« being introduced, as bnmi rathei ii-triuierital to the jnterest-s of education. * Mr Parr asreed with Mr Greensla.de that the Board should have as far as possible uniformity. Books that were wood enou<rh for Wellington should be (rood: enough for Auckland. He thought that the best text books available should be procured and kept to. Another member said he thought that if the proposal of the Conference, that the books .should belong to the schools, a great difficulty would be got over. The inspectors, who were experts in this matter, were strongly averse to the introduction of uniform books, snd they must have cogent reasons for their object: on. Mr Stallworthy moved "That the inspectorate be asked to rc-fer back to the advisory committee, with the view of making school books more uniform." Thi* motion the Board adopted. . ,