UNIFORMITY OF SCHOOL BOOKS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIX, Issue 72, 25 March 1918, Page 7

UNIFORMITY OF SCHOOL BOOKS.

OPINIONS OF MASTERS. "At a meeting of the Auckland School Committees' Association in the Grafton Library Hall on Saturday evening, Mr C. H. Furness (vice-president) in the cbair, the question of introducing uniformity of primary school text books was debated ai length in the presence of a <*ood attendance, including ladies. Mr C. R. Munro, headmaster of the Remuera school, said, looking at the matter broadly, he considered uniformity in reading-books was -not advisable. Different books contained different ideas and thought, and uniformity would be a danger when progress demanded a change. The Government could not compete _ with the -Home firms, which had been printing the readers for years. The Government was also susceptible to certain influences. .Uniform readers to successive generations of pupils became tiring and uninteresting. Some uniformity, however, might be introduced by the more common use of an extended journal, if the Government increased the capitation on the supplementary reader. A special journal should be prepared for country schools. For the sixth standard pupils, a special literary journal would be advisable, but the journals should be under the supervision of experts, making provision for progress from time to time. He considered a set of uniform books for history and geography impossible, at least for any length of time. However, the Government could do much by reducing the cost of stationery to parents for the schools. Having given capitation on the supplementary journals, the Government had approved the principle, and no difficulty should be met in getting an increase. The consensus of educationists' opinion was against standardisation. [(Applause.) Mr T. U. Wells, MA. (Ponsonby) said he considered uniformity of readingbooks would be a calamity, and kill interest in a subject that was not merely •mechanical, but was treasured for inculcating a love of literature and the great fields of intellectuality and progress. Reading was an immense gain to the welfare of children. He agreed that some uniformity could be attained with an improved journal. He considered the Government should provide all school stationery free. A lady teacher favoured standardisation, while Mr Murray (Education Board member) was averse to any stereotyped reading-books, and he saw no reason why the Government should not provide . free stationery to all the public schools. Mr Potter (Mount Eden) said uniformity was certainly possible with readers and arithmetics. The journal was now printed by the Government, and it was only a matter of extension. The teachers at present were given too much power in selecting the books of instruction. Another speaker said the uniformity of books was a matter for teachers. The only difficulty was the cost of books to parents, and "tic solution was for the Government to provide books and stationery. Mr Horridge (New Lynn) said the teachers had too much scope in the selection of books. The cost of education should be spread over the •whole country by a special rate. At •present people., with large, families were handicapped by having -' to buy man> books compared with parents who bad smaller families and yet the same privileges. Owing to cost of books and stationery our education was by no means free. Mr Morris (Avondale) said there was nothing to prevent the Government from doing all its education departmental printing. There could hardly be a set of primary school bcofe, much cheaper, at least, to the varied books now in use, in which there was commercial profiteering. The Government should be forced to undertake this work. (Applause.) Mr J. Dempsey said if the Government did the printing of its own text-books they should be under careful supervision, j It was decided that the matter should le placed before the householders at the forthcoming meetings.