SUPPLY OF SCHOOL BOOKS.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20025, 5 September 1930, Page 7

SUPPLY OF SCHOOL BOOKS.

EDUCATION DEPARTMENT'S POLICY. That the policy of the Education Department in connexion with the supply of books used in schools throughout the country was a satisfactory one for New Zealand purposes was the opinion expressed by Mr C. Kirk, secretary of the North Canterbury Education Boarc| to a representative of The Press yesterday when the question raised in the House on Wednesday about tjie quality and price of school books was referred to him. Mr G. (J. Munns, the United member for Roskill, had asked the Minister for Education (the Hon. H. Atmore) questions relating to the quality, price, and supply of books. The Minister's reply in defence of the Department was correct, said Mr Kirk. All books used in the schools were first approved by the Department, and no cheaper 1 publications than those obtaining would be suitable for use in New Zealand owing to the fact that the books were prepared purely for Dominion requirements, and many, such as Nature study books, published in England, were not suitable here on account of the differences in seasons of the year. The Department's policy was that authors and publisher® were informed whether a book would be placed on the authorised list, before its actual publication. so that monetary loss was thus avoided and books of the right type were more likely to be secured. In 1927 a list of authorised books showed that apparently all books except readers in the lower departments of schools were published by one firm; but that firm did not necessarily publish all the books the Department authorised. Manv of the books in use were compiled by New Zealand authors, and thev were the ones who arranged for publication. If one firm could maintain an advantage over others in the matter of publication they were entitled to it. It rested with the author where the book was to be published. Referring to the quality and binding of the books, which Mr Munns had

questioned, Mr Kirk said that there was little foundation for the criticism, as many books supplied to schools fulfilled tneir use lone before their condition demanded that they should be destroyed.