SCHOOL TEXT BOOKS

Evening Star, Issue 20117, 6 March 1929, Page 5

SCHOOL TEXT BOOKS

HEW SYLLABUS DELAY EXPLAIHED • [Special io tbe 1 Stab.’] 'WELLINGTON, March 5. The Minister of Education (Mr Atmore) has been investigating complaints refunding the .supply of new school books to meet the changed conditions under the new primary school_ .vyllnbus, and he has ascertained from his department that the previous books had been iu use iii most of the schools 01 the dominion for over ton years, and vein very much out ol; date, the result bein o that many teachers were, without authority, asking their pupils to purchase new and unauthorised books, thus putting the parents to considerable expensc. No doubt those parents ■uho are complaining at the present time about frequent changes in school text books are those who have been asked by teachers to purchase unauthorised books from time to time-. The department issued instructions to inspectors and teachers that no unauthorised hooks were to be used, as it was desired to keep the hooks 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 the old books remained in use after the new syllabus was introduced there would have been vigorous protests against the use of books that dud not suit the new syllabus. The department therefore had to do its best to induce the publishers to put forth their best efforts_ inpreparing new books, the issue of which would synchronise with the official introduction of the new syllabus. “ 1 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 the authors in meeting the requirements of the new syllabus. 1 understand, however, that these difficulties have been overcome; that all the books on arithmetic for Standards I. to VI. are now on sale, while the English text books for Standards 111. to V. are ready, and supplies for Standard Yl. will be issued iu a few days. History books for Standards 111. to V. are on sale, and supplies of Standard VI. will bo sent out in a day or two. The greatest difficulty has been found in producing geographies, as the method ot treatment of this subject has altered considerably iu recent years. However, 1 understand that the Standard J LI. book is on sale, and that the books for Standards IV.. V., and VL are in the press. “ With regard to the prices io be charged for the new books, the late Minister of Education placed this matter in the hands of the Master Printers’ Association, which 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 hooks. In other words, the purchasers of new books are receiving more for their money than in the case ofi»the old series. A comparison with any of the text books published in England will show that the New Zealand books are considerably cheaper, and there is satisfaction in knowing that our books have been written by New Zealand teachers and printed by New Zealand labour. 1 have made careful examination of the cost supplying the new books, and find, as did my predecessor, that the cost would be very heavy indeed. It must be remembered, too, that when the system of providing school hooks free was in partial operation some years ago parents very much disliked the passing of free books from hand to hand, and objected to their children using more 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.”