"A VERY DOUBTFUL BENEFIT."

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1075, 14 March 1911, Page 4

"A VERY DOUBTFUL BENEFIT."

OPINIONS OF FREE SCHOOL-BOOKS (By TclcciHDn-SDccta.l Corr«wondsnt.l Christchurch, March ]3. Tho free school-books system has been in force at least two years, long enough for those who daily soo its operation to form an opinion as to its merits. A "Press" reporter interviewed several headmasters in tho city and suburban schools to : day and ioumi that they had been iairly unanimous in coming to tho conclusion that tho money spent on ireo books could be more profitably applied in the cause of education. Tho principal objection, though it is a passive one, seems to come from tho parents.. The majority of the children have their own books, the parents preferring to supply thorn rather than allow their children to uso tho books which may have passed through other hands previously. Iu nearly all the schools visited it was found that I his was tho case, and in one school at least a very large number of the books provided had not been in use at all. The objection raised to tho general use of the free books is based very largely on hygienic grounds, and tho weight attached to it by teachers varies very considerably. All the teachers agreed that there had teen no necessity for tho grant being made, and that the fact of its having bean made was only likely to encourage the demand for State help, and still fur. tlier reduce tho eense of parental respontimnty. lnc grant having been made, however, they suggested that it might be more profitably used by purchasing drawing and copy books, and stationery and writing requisites. The old-fashioned and insanitary slate had of recent years gone very largely out of use, and stationery was used to a great extent in the upper standards. The parents had not appreciated being released from the necessity of buying new reading books but they would appreciate being released lrom the almost incessant demands for smnl sums for stationery. This could be bought wholesale by the schools, and its distribution in tho schools would wcure that it was economically used. Children were us a rule not at air economical with their own property. Tho free books supplied in Standard IV were two reading books, a historical reader, and an atlas. One teacher eueg;ested that at least the atlas and one of the readers could be dropped, The teachers made use of sketch maps on blackboards, and as the children were not allowed to take' home their "principal" reader (from which they learned spelling), they all had to purchase that book. The money saved by dropping those two items would Iμ sufficient to supply stationery. Tho objection to this was that the grant in respect to each standard is not an annual one, and stationery once used has to be replaced. The State does not appear to have made provision for the replacement of books lost, worn out, or soiled. ' This has not been a serious trouble so far/owing to the use of tho free books not being general. The time and trouble expended in handing out and recovering free books is one of tho minor complaints regarding the system. There is also the fact that in the majority of tho schools tho children are not allowed to tako tho free books home. This is regretted by some teaohers, as tho readers and historical readers supplied might very well be read and studied out of school hours by a pupil with a taste for reading. Tho opinion among the profession was that the scheme had resulted in a very doubtful benefit. One teacher said tTIaJ it had been introduced to defeat the cry for uniform school books. The parent removing from one district to another did not have , to buy a new set of books now if he chose to take advantage of tho free books' provided. • > •