School Books

NZ Truth, Issue 882, 21 October 1922, Page 1

School Books

The annnal conference of Schopl Committees' Associations' recently interviewed t)ie Minister for Education, but unfortunately they failed to stress the grievance that parents harbour over the question of school books. The grievance 'is that parents are called upon to provide 1 * for their children new books every year, and when moving from one district to another then new books twice m the year. Why? If the locally- written school book Is a better book, either m its interest, its- use, its illustrations, or its assistance to progress than the books we older^ folks used at school, We ."have yet to discover one single aspect m which the local book is superior. We want to know why the books used m the education of No. 1 of the family are not good enough for use in -the education of No. 2. Who is the wise cove that decides these things? Who tells him to make so many changes? If he can't get out a decent book that can be: used as a standard it is quite high time he. was fired. If the publishing of these books is given to firms we want to know whether there is competition? We want to know, also, why the Government Printer can't do the job? Is he too busy with printing Hansard -and pamphlets on fireblight? ' There are. one or two other questions we have m mind, tout these will suffice meantime. We shall be glad if ' the Honorable Minister^ will act and remedy promptly the grave scandal this question represents.