SCHOOL BOOKS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3187, 11 September 1917, Page 7

SCHOOL BOOKS

-— : —* r —— : QUESTION OF UNIFORMITY ADDRESS BY MIL- T. H. GILL

Last evening Mr. T. H. Gill, formerly an inspector of schools, addressed a gathering of the School Committees' Association on the subject of uniformity of text-books. '

In the course of. his address Mr. Gill said that in a change made in tho syllabus thirteen years ago two points were specially emphasised. One was that subjects should bo viewed from !the <hild's point of view, and the other was. to givo greater freedom of choice, to the teacher, so that he would be ablo to select his own. scheme of work. In the education of children text-books wero necessary, but the tyranny of tho text-book had to be ayoided. In regard to reading, uniformity was provided at present because all schools used tho School Journal, but a certain amount of freedom was given, as all, schools used the "Continuous Header." As to arithmetic, there was no reason why a uniform' text-book should not bo obtained. In regard .to history and geography the adoption ot uniform lwoks would take ajway, to an extent, tho freedom of tho selection of topes. There was a danger in introducing uniform text-books to cramp- tho teacher's efforts. • • ' / If uniformity, was wanted there .'.wero two days of securing it:— (1) To liavo all text-books printed by tho Government and' supplied free of cost.

(2) For the Government to import thein and give or sell them to' tho pupils. By the first method we would not he likely to get the best class of editors (as in England), on account of the small population 'which would seed the hooks. If the books were given to.the pupils Some step would have to bo taken to see that they were properly looked after if they were taken. honio. • The difficulty was considerably reduced where tho books used wore the same in each education district, especially if free text-books wiero i;ivcn in cases of hardship. An attompt was made in 1908 to supply 'all classes of text-books free, and nfterr-four years it was abandoned because most parents preferred to buy tho boobi.for their children so that they might bo able to take them homo and have them as their.own property. When that was abandoned the Department made a grant of threepence per head on aver-nge attendance to each of tho education districts:— (\) To furnish pupils with continuous readers. (2) To give books whero children were moved from one school to another. (3) To provide boobs* in necessitous cases. I Mr. Gill was heartily thanked for his address. ,