SCHOOL BOOKS PRICES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20519, 21 March 1930, Page 15

SCHOOL BOOKS PRICES.

COMPLAINT IN OTAGO.

STRAIN ON MANY PARENTS.

CONCRETE INSTANCE GIVEN.

[BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] DUNEDIN, Thursday.

The cost of school books was prominently brought before the meeting of the Otago Education Board to-day by Mr. J. Smith, who produced a list given to him by a parent showing that the books and material required by a third standard pupil at a certain school cost 19s Id. The senior inspector, who was asked to report on tho list, stated that the books in the list were all "authorised" except the "individual spelling list." The atlas should not have cost more than 2s, and the dictionary the same. Those books, however, would last with care until the pupil passed Standard VI., and longer still if he went to the high school. One of each might be made to do for two or more of a family. With regard to the unauthorised book on the list, the teachers had been given plenty of warning against asking pupils to procure such books.

The Hon. D. T. Fleming said the cost of school books was a serious one with many, parents. Teachers should be advised to keep closoly to the authorised list and to have regard to the economical aspect in tho purchase or even the exchange of books. It should be more generally known that, the board was prepared to supply the books at published prices on receipt of the list from the teacher or the parents. There were cases in which the prices charged were exorbitant. The chairman, Mr. J. Wallace, said it was seldom that the board was supplied with a concrete case in which the books and the prices were detailed. The board had a resolution on its books giving the prices of various books, and stating that if the books were not procurable at those prices the board would supply them.

It was decided to send a circular to headmasters drawing attention to the fact that the cost of books to pupils must be kept within a reasonable limit.