THE SCHOOL BOOK QUESTION. (Timaru Herald.)

North Otago Times, Volume XXXV, Issue 7128, 4 May 1891, Page 4

THE SCHOOL BOOK QUESTION. (Timaru Herald.)

Some of the most sensible remaiks hioh ire have seen on the subject of niformity of books in the State schools 'ere made by Mr Lee, the Chief Dspector under the Wellington Board £ Education, at their meeting held on Wednesday last. An abstract of what lr Lee i»id will be found in another olumo, and all who are interested in he subject should " read, mark, learn, nd inwardly digest." It is not likely, 10 waver, that members of the Otago "radei and Labor Council, and other todies of a similar character, will pay nuoh attention to Mr Lee's facts and irgumenti. We fear that those bodies, n their effortB to obtain uniformity of iohot>\ books, coupled with the prov ; s5 hat they shall be printed in the colony, lave been influenced more by a degre io create work for people in New Zaaand than by solicitude for the better iduca iog cf the rising generation, [odeed, our imprtssion is that the Otago Eradei and Labor Council would nob nave troubled themselves in the amalies^ degree about this book question if it had not been connected in their mindB with that other question of wag ing. We do not blame them for being aliv« on everj vccztsion to the advisability of increasing the field of labor, but the general public should not allow dusfc to be thrown in their eje», and should consider tbe book question in the interests of the cbildien »nd not of those who simply want to keep work in the colony. Mr Lee pointed out that the great competition amongst publisher in England had resulted in there being " the moat ad' mirable eeres of tebool books, and the best of these were not able to hold ihe market for more than two or three years." The improve ment in the bookd is continuoup, and the schools profit by it. If the advice of the Ofcago Tiades and Labor Council were followed, and the Government of New Zealand caused to be prepared and printed a set of books for the Sate schools, there would be an end of competition, a ehutting out of the best English produc ions, and in all probability a tying down of tbe schools for a long series of years to the use of the first set, because, as Mr Lee remarked, " It was not likely that the Government could stand the expense of leneffiog it every few years." Whilst admitting the advantages of keeping work in the colony, we cannot but endorse Mr Lee's remark?, which appear to us to be altogether unanswerable. The 8 ate pays faeavi'y for the education of the children, and there is every reason for believing that the outlay is noc an extravagance. But the State should insist on getting the best return for its money, and that would no^ be accomplished if the Otago Trades and Labor Council were allowed to have their way in this matter. Nor do we see that an advantage would be gained by uniformity. The question is no doubt a large one, aod we shall not attempt to discuss it at present. Mr Lee does nob seem to ba altogether favorable to uniformity. He says: 11 The only argument left to the Trades Council was that some one English book should be made common to the whole colony. Even that he would deprecate, for each Board should be allowed to use what was thought best for its own district. For instance, he coald not always advise the Wellington Board to use what waB suitable for the Otago d strict." TheBe latter remarks are somewhat foggy, and perhaps Mr Lee was not very accurately or fully reported. H s reason for objecting to uniformity is not given, and we can merely guess at it, There being but one system of education for the great bulk of the children throughout the colony, tbe tendency is towards a uniform " machine-turned" product, which perhaps is not a very desirable result in view of the formation of national character. A certain narrowmindedneBB, a running of thought in atereotyped grooves, and a large amount of priggishness, may be looked for. The adoption of a variety of books, one set in one part of the colony, and another elsewhere, may to some extent mitigate those evils. If those are Mr Lee's opinion?, we are inclined to agree with him. Our impression, however, is that if the present Ministry can see their way to surrmunt the obstacle of expense, they will be ent'rdy subservient to the "labor" party, supposing the latter to be fairly unanimous in their demand for uniformity of school books. All other considerations will go down before the expediency of courting the popular vote.

At the meeting of the Wellington Education Board recently, in the discussion of uniformity of school books, the concensos of opinion was that unifoim ty of school books was a miBtake, and likely to increaae the cost of the books if they were published by Government. Mr Lee, Chief Inspec* tor, said he would be sorry to see any attempt made in the direction of uniformity, chiefly on the followiug grounds : There was over five millions of children in British schools, and the competition among the best publishers in the Kingdom for the supply of books was keen. The consequence was that there were in England a most admirable series of books, and the best of these publishers were not ftblo to rold the market more than two or three yeais Messrs Nelson and Sons held the 6e!d for some time with their Royal Readers, and then came Chambers, Blackiet, and lastly Longmans, who had at very great expense produced wonderfully good value for the price charged. The value was seen by the very unfavorable way in which the Southern Croso Readers compared with these issued by English firms. Granted that the Government succeeded in getting out anything like a suitable book, it was not likely that the colony could stand the expense of re* newing it every few yearB. Without doing that schools would be committed to one state of things and deprived of j change and variety. Under the present system tkey wen ■ getting the advantage of the splendid competition at Home, and oould have that change

which was so desirable. It must a'so be admitted that the illustrations in the English books were such as the colony could not hope to emulate for years. He couUl not admit the argument that there would be any saving under the ptoposed system. It was absuul to say that what was suitable now would be suitable five years hence such was the pvogiess of the educational world. 'i he ouly argument left to the 1 rades Comic. 1 was that some one English book should be made com mon to the whole co'ony. Even that he would deprecate, for eich .Board should be allowed to use what was thought best for its own district. Foi instai ce, he could not always advise the Wellington Hoard to use what was suitable for the Otago district. Fes des, there was really uniformity in that district, as the Board had always laid down a list of books for its schools It would be an improvement if an in lerestin" descriptive geography of New Zealand weio dtawn up, but that seemed to him to bo the only thing needed.