FREE SCHOOL BOOKS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 337, 26 October 1908, Page 4

FREE SCHOOL BOOKS.

' THE GOVERNMENT 'PROPOSALS. " ;EXPLANATION BY HON. G. FOWLDS. Cllt TELEG It A I'H —PRESS* ASSOCIATION.) Auckland, October 24. Interviewed to-day, the Hon. Geo. Fowlds, Minister for Education, went into an elaboration of tho system of free school books which tho Government now intends to introduce intoall tho State schools of tho Dominion. "Once tho whole of the schools have beenfurnished with free books," declared the Minister for Education, "it is estimated that it will tako about £6000 per year to maintain the supply. That computation is based upon the present roll number of children attending tho schools of tho Dominion. Tho sum of £3500 provided for in this year's estimates will enable tho education boards to supply free text books in the primer classes and Standards I and 11. About tho samo amount, or a little moro, will bo voted noxt year to maintain the supply in theso classes, and to enable tho boards to furnish Standard 111 with freo books. The grant will then require to bo increased during the next three years to enable Standards IV, V, and VI to be takon in, and at tho same time maintain the free books in tho lower standards. It is possible that the grant in one "of theso years when-reaching tho higher standards may., be increased to £9000, but after tho classes aro supplied the sum necessary for maintenance will drop down to £6000. It is estimated that tho books will last on an average between two and three years." "As I havo stated," continued Mr. Fowlds, "the .method of dealing with the question will be to allocate the money to education boards upon a capitation basis, according to the number of children upon tho rolls of tho schools, leaving it to tho boards to make their own arrangements for the supply of books to tho different schools within their districts. Several inquiries have readied mo from booksellers who have books in stock, and I hope that tho education boards will tako this fact into consideration when procuring supplies, so that none of tho booki sellers, will bo injured by having any of the books left on their hands. In the course of a year or two after theso stocks have been oxhausted tho hoards will naturally endeavour to get books at tho lowest possible cost."