SCHOOL BOOKS

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 33, 9 February 1932, Page 7

SCHOOL BOOKS

COST TO PARENTS

OPEN TENDERING URGED

IS FREE SUPPLY POSSIBLE ,},

Efforts to secure Government ownership of the copyright of all school books, public tenders' for printing, 'and free supplies of school books to children, are being made by. the Wellingtoa School Committees' and Educational Federation. It was stated at a meeting of the federation last night that school books and requisites were.costing the parents of the Dominion. -£, §5,000.. arid .that-if the Government toot control this cost,could be halved. . ; ' Mr. L.^Hennessey said that the'cost of school books for :each child every year was as follows:—Standards 1 and 2, 5s 6d: standard 3, 12s lid; standard ■4, lls 3d; standard 5, i6s 4d; standard 0. 15a 3d. The cost of these: supplies from.' standards 1 to 6 to the pkrerits ■; of the Dominion was.£Bs;ooo per annum; To that cost, which was only approximate, could be added the cb?t of BBpplementary readers,'which had-hitherto been supplied, the .^School- Journal)' paid for by the Department of Education. and • the books supplied by- tha public libraries. ' * ''" • .'..,■ : Parents with'children'; in/standard* 1, 3, and 5, said Mr.; Hennessfey,' were Paying, Gut 35s a year" for/'bbofcs.and requisites. ,lf they happened, to .thave another , child, 'attending a' secondary; school, a-further £3 to-£lo;'could ,b 9 added to .that; amount. ■ It .was'not to be at that many good-pupila we're, unable to; continue .their 'secondary ! or technical education; simply^because, their parents could not afford the ■ money. ' - ■■ ■ /. ;■-:•; -. .<■:•.',■■•■.- ■ AT HALF THE COSt ;;: If the Government were, to-supply 'the primary, schbols with free .books.'-.'and requsites they could be supplied' at half .the ;the'y cost, wlien .purchased in a pieeenieal retail way.'.There was not only,that saying'; thfe ,liWs of the books would be prolonged '.to "i our or even more years as compared "with one. year under present; condition*. '•: At present the. Government'bought its supplies_ for the Kail Way. and .Post and Telegraph Departments ? iiu bulk from the -cheapest: market, and there! was nothing .to prevent it doing; the; same thing: with school books. : A. .tax of 6d per annum; would; be aufficierif to-'pro-vide free books and iequisitei>ttf the primary schools, said Mr. Itennessey;-;. WHX SHOtnj} abVEENMENT PAY? "Why should the Government piy 'for school books any vmore-thanrit'shloiad pay for the children's 'eiijthesl'"'' aeked Mr. L. ( G. McDpnald. " Albougli Ke disapproved .of the Government' payikjr for everything Ihe .would ■ J£r! Hennessey on acequhto£ the" ecdnomie* that could be.brought about. : :=';v ■ .-'. Mr.- Porter said he thought that; the best way of reducing the; cost Ava^'by breaking the present mbnopbly- under which a certain printing'nrnf did practically all .the work. ■ ' ' >' -- ; ■i:¥X''*''*- Clark said he ;not it would be wise for tHeledpratibn- to ask the; Government for,, free books 4t the present time, but agreed'thatif the monopoly was jbrqkenlthe price :~o£ "'the books would come down N .There,was no" reason,,he said, why the books should not be purchased in England! ' ": A HEADMASTER'S OPINION. '.' The opinion > that; they would get a very cold reception if they asked the Minister for.free supplies of books was expressed, .by one-of' L the riieadmasters said, that the .^costi to parents, .srasr-not always as severe..as ; Mr. •Henenss«y i ':h'ad indicated.,; Many «hildred^sbld . their bb6ks: when they were moved toiiglier classes, and sb the "cost was seduced.' This year hef had: sql^mdre- book's:la that way than eyer;beiore..! Mr. Broad said that some parents^bjgiteji1 to their' children using second-fiand" HobEsT and pointed outthat if 'parents"wer,e"unWblo to buy books there;was. a.^m'etfib.dfwhefeby they could obtain free supplies for their children. '.'■'■. v,: v'1;' :■■"?.-:>■■.•• .Mr. ;w. 7L^ Phillips;: said^thifc' the tederatibn, should not. press, for free supplies at present,' but. • continue as they had been doing in the past. In- hia opinion any surplus money -should g» to feeding, thehungry peopjejof.^the'.- Dbr minion.and.finding,job.s,-for jtheihighly qualified -students leaving ■•; .technical schools and 'colleges.- ..The:;speaker; did hot agree with■ Mr.'Clark's-'snggeetion that" the'printing should :*e" v d6ne^ in England, but agreed/ that-;fh^resent nionbpbly should be-brpken. !T[ v ."".' " On\the'motion of Mr. it was decided to endorse-jtne.:proppsaj of the Auckland SchooVlCbkimitteeß' Association that the copyrightof school books should be held by they Gpvem-i ment_ and tender's called for printing. The executive wa& tp_ arrange1 a deputation;: tcf.'wkiton the Minister of Education. AnptSef-.iaotibn, moved:by,Mj. L. Hennesisey,.thatother associations be communicated"Srith in. connection with the -supply of free books and requisites Jwith:.ai;-.Tiew t» ' approaching the Minister with", a : , Do-minion-wide appeal, was'alsq earriedi '