“TOO MANY TEXT BOOKS.”

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 13 June 1928, Page 3

“TOO MANY TEXT BOOKS.”

NEED OF CONTROL URGED. The multiplicity of text books in use in sieoudaaw scnoo'lis wuk described, a® beiim- the subject of Dominion-wide oonipuunt during the meeting of the Council of Education at Wellington. The subject was introduced when, during discussion, on a standard .schenyu of contiroi tor secondary schools, • ; it was proposed that headmasters- should be empowered to regulate ail text books.

Mir F. H. Rake well mentioned over a. dozen books on elementally Latin that he knew were in use, yet they all taught that Ralbus built a. wadi, that the kin" gave rose® to the queen, arm that eagles have wings. The Director of Education (Mr T. B. Strong) said the regulation of text books was a matter' of great import a,nee, and one which had to he attended to by the department, whose powers were limited under the Education Act. “There is too little control over the prescription of text book** in secondary schools,” he said. “(The expense of text books is tiie subject of Domimionwide complaint, and even prevents some parents from sending their children to secondary ischoois. A multiplicity of text books : s not necessary. Teachers are inclined to depend too much on text books, but it is the man behind the text books that really matters.” MV F. Millieu- asked if thpi dopartent- did not iasue a list of text bookisi approved by the department. Mr Strong: Yes, but under no particular authority. Mr Milner: We have been told to discontinue tiie use of pertain books, and the evil has .certainly been reduced. The l higher the education the more need for text books was a, point mad? bv Mr T. H. Howell. The price of hooks could be reduced, he suggested, if boards undertook to supply them. After several sneakers had expressed *he view that some restriction should be n laced upon the' capricious choice of h ■•■■oks. it was- decided that heaclini.astem should he empowered to -feigmiaife the PSe of -t a v‘ books taken from a list .approved of by the Director of .Education.