UNIFORM SCHOOL BOOKS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 127, 21 February 1908, Page 4

UNIFORM SCHOOL BOOKS.

DIVEfJCHNT VIEWS. . IS UNIFORMITY MEDIOCRITY f (DY TELEGRAPH —SI'ECIAL COHRESrONDBNT.) ' Au:k!andi February 20. ■ Tile often debated question of uniformity of school books throughout tho Dominion was before tho Education Board yesterday, when a circular letter was received from tho Insjicetor-General of Schools stating, that tho Minister for Education would bo glad to know whether, in tlio opinion of tho Board and of the Inspectors, it was desirable or feasible to liavo' uniform school books'.in all tho public schools of tlio Dominion, especially .whether thcro should bo ono uniform series of reading books in all tho education districts. Reporting on this, matter, Mr.- D. 'Pctrio, M.A., stated that tlio inspectors had .considered tho question and had decided to advise tlio Board that they favoured .uniformity in reading books' and iii school books genornlly. : Tlio Chairman of : the Board (Mr. L. J. Baguall), expressed, tlio, belief that a great deal moro had been - mado of tho changes in school books tlian was really warranted;' ; Mr. 0. J. Garland": Don't you belioyo it! Tho Chairman : "L happen to know that thoro havo. been no changes' in this district for eight years, so. that there could, not liavo been so 'ninny alterations." Personally, ho thought it desirable that thero, might bo uniformity-'throughout the Dominion to a certain extent, but ho believed it,would bo possible to carry it so far'.that it would bo a danger to education. In tholong. run it was a mistake in'education to try and havo everything on a dead level; Uniformity left'no scope for variety and tended to bring everybody down to a dead level of mediocrity—a tiling to be avoided. Ho did riot-t-hiiik that tho matter should be so fixed that t-liOro would be no chance of ohango. If teachers, pupils, or parents choso to liavoadditional books of any kind they should not bo prevented from having 'them, so. that thero might bo something to lift 'them from a, dead lovelj which must lead to mediocrity and inferiority, Thero was a great deal in having books which 'wero up-to-date and suitable for ' the Dominion. Many imported books;.-wero, not -'suitable for tho Hemisphere. / They wero written for the North and tended to give a falso impression. If'only cortain books were allowed in tho schools and 110 others, ,it might save' a few- shillings, bilt at presont. it was only tho children-who'moved from school to school who wero 1 affected-, as tliey found different books at the new. school to that which they had- just left. It was tho os-. pondit-uro; which people grumbled about, thero boing no ground for'complaint = about frequent unnecessary changes. ' When committees had complained during the last fow years of changosj tho • Board asked what changes had been referred to, and invariably .thero had been' no reply,' bqcauso thero had been no changes. It was true that different teachers clioso different books,' and thus children who moved wero' a fleeted; . Ho moved: "That tho inspectors report bo forwarded to t-ho Department'of Education." Mr. J. D. M'Kenzio said that in tho country districts'tho .newspapers' wero used, at tho reading lessons.•'•' -. ' Mr. Garland said/that ; ho : had strong feelings on the schoolbook question.-v - Tho Chairman: ,The}' aro .based on a misapprehension. Mr. Garland : : No, -on financial facts. / Mr. Edgecumbe: Don't ; touch fijiaiicial facts,, because I don't-think thero isimuch'-in tllat., Mr, Garland: I havo had to.pay. Children: move within'the-oity as'well as to different parts of tho Dominion,' and it is a gi'eat hardship;to liavo to- buy-different. 1 books for fivo or six children.'- "' I- believo thouGbvorn.merit should print books and supply": them at actual cost. - .

Air. H. G. Greehslado. M.P. : I think tho books should bo supplied absolutoly; free.All education should; :bor,absolutoly free. ■ Mr,.' Bag.i,ill. lfc wpuld eost.moro to-'-print tho-books ,m New Zealand tlian to import them;-' - -v Tho motion 'was adopted.' .