FREE SCHOOL BOOKS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 14347, 27 October 1910, Page 4

FREE SCHOOL BOOKS.

SCHEME OPPOSED BY TARANAKI BOARD. At tho monthly meeting of tho Taranaki Education Board yesterday, a letter was received from the InspectorGeneral of Schools (Air. G. Hoghen). stating that a grant for the supply of certain free text books to children attending Standard IV. in public schools would he available next year under certain conditions. The grant would he 5s 3d per head on the roll number of Standard IV., and its purpose would he to provide each pupil with a general miscellaneous reader, a supplementary reader, an historical reader, nu arithmetic book, and either an atlas or geographical render. It wn.s not anticipated that the grant each year would he sufficient to provide a new sot of hooks each year, but merely to meet wear and tear, and enable the supply to ho renewed at reasonable intervals. Air. Kennedy was opposed to the scheme, and moved that the board protest .-gainst the further proposals of the department to provide extra free hooks, especially as no provision is made that each child shall have a clean copy on entering the standard affected, and are of opinion that the money can ho better expended, and in a way that will give more general satisfaction than in such inadequate am! insanitary manner.—Air. A. Alorton seconded. Mr. Trimble opposed the motion, considering the principle ol free books was a proper one. It was the only method by which they could get rid of tho constant outcry against buying fresh books. Tho motion was carried.