COST OF SCHOOL BOOKS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17396, 6 February 1917, Page 6

COST OF SCHOOL BOOKS.

TO THI EDITOR.

Sir,—Kindly allow me space to vent a grievance which is very prevalent in our district. That is in connection with.' the school books. I think it is time thai) the parents, one and all, prov tested about the expenses inourred. by so many changes, of books. I see that this year a new set of books has come in, and in these war tinies, % of r'Coufse, war charges will be on them., LknoM of several boys and girls who failed- in their respective Standards last year who have had to buy a fresh set of books/ as the old ones are no use to chain. Surely so much of this changing of books could bo avoided by the Educa--tion Department), or are the booksellers and jirtuication Department in a ring to try and put as much expense on the parents as they can? In these hard times it tfrkes most working people all they can do to live without having what' I call a waste on so many new hooks. I remember when I went to school that in mosti classes the books could bo handed d<swn from one to the other, and I fail to see that tho children are any better taught now, as failures seem to be more frequent) now in our schools. I know of one family which has had to pay out 18s for books, and then lias not got all, and another family lis, besides more I could bring forward, but I will not encroach on your space too much. Hoping that parents will wake up to •'fiheif own interests and that some abler pen than mine will tako the matter up.—l am, etc.,

CHAIRMAN.

Glentunnel, February 3