NEW SCHOOL BOOKS

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 53, 6 March 1929, Page 10

NEW SCHOOL BOOKS

DELAY IN ISSUE

MINISTER'S EXPLANATION

A number of complaints in regard to t^e late delivery of school books in lino with tho requirements of tho new syllabus have beeniriyestigated-by the Minister of Education (tho Hon. H. Atmore) who, to-day made .a statement to a "Post" reporter "setting forth the reasons for delay in-goine of the new books becoming available for use.

The new syllabus of instruction for primary schools, which was-issued last year, said Mr. Atmore, necessitated tho introduction of new text-books. The previous books had been in uso in most df tho schools. of the Dominion for over ten years and were very much out of date, the result being.that many teachers were, without authority, asking their pupils to purchase new and unauthorised books, thus putting parents to considerable expense. No doubt those parents who were complaining at the present time about the frequent changes in school text-books were those who had been asked' by teachers to purchase unauthorised books. .From time- to time the Department issued instructions to tho inspectors and to the teachers that no unauthorised books were to bo used,, as it was desired to keep tho books as uniform as possible in order to lessen the cost to parents both when pupils passed from class to class and when they moved from school to school. "Had .tho old> books remained in use, after the new syllabus was introduced there would hare been vigorous protests against the use of books that did not suit the syllabus. The Department therefore had to do its best to induce publishers to put forth their best efforts in preparing new books, the issuo of which would synchronise with the ofiieial introduction of tho now syllabus.

"I regret,' '■ said the Minister, ''that the- publishers, notwithstanding special efforts on their';part,-were unable to have all the books ready at the.time the schools opened. The delay was due to the difficulties experienced by authors in meeting the-'requirements of the new syllabus. I understand, however, that these difficulties have been overcome and that all the books in arithmetic for Standards I. to VI. are now on sale, while the English; textbooks for Standards 111. to V. are ready and supplies for Standard VI. will be issued in a few days. The ■ history books for Standards III.; to V. are on sale, and supplies for Standard VI. will ,be sent out in a day or two: _ "The greatest ' difficulty' has ' been found in producing the. geographies, as the method of treatment of; this subject lias altered considerably/in recent years. Howbvoiy. I understand.; that the Standard 111. book is on sale, and that books for Standards IV., V., and VI. arc in the press. MORE FOR THEIR MONEY. "With regard to the prices to be charged for the new books, the late Minister of Education placed this matter in the hands of.the Master Printers' Assocaition. The'association arranged with the publisher to make a substantial percentage reduction in price, the new price being calculated in accordance with" the relative amount of , matter in the new books as compared with the old books. In other words, the purchasers of the now books are receiving more" for their .money than in the case of the old series. A com-1 parison with auy. of the text-books published in England will show that the New Zealand books aro consider-' ably cheaper, and there is satisfaction in'knowing that our books ,have been written by New Zealand'teachers,'and printed by New Zealand labour. "I have made a careful examination of the cost of supplying new books," said Mr. Atmore, "and I find, as did my predecessor, that the cost would be very heavy indeed. It'must be remembered, too, that when a system of providing, school books free was in partial operation some years ago, parents very much disliked the passing of the free books from hand to hand, and objected to their children using moro or less worn-out books. Such a large number of parents purchased . books for their children's use that the free book system had to be abandoned."