FREE SCHOOL BOOKS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 544, 26 June 1909, Page 14

FREE SCHOOL BOOKS.

Tho pros and ■ cons of the much-debated question of tho free school books grant made by_ the Government some time ago, on certain conditions, were crystallised at the Education 'Board's meeting on Thursday by an , analysis of tho objections enumerated in a < lengthyi communication • received from tho I 'Auckland Board, which sought the co-opera-tion of tho other districts.in formulating'.,!protest to the Department. Briefly put, the ■Auckland Board stated that in its district, Standards I-and II wore given two reading books, and tho Sohool Journal; in sevoral of , its schools an even moro extensive equipment of reading matter was provided. This policy also obtained in certain education districts in tho south. , But, under the conditions of the Government grant for the purchase of free school books, one of tho two readers used was required to bo dispensed with. As ox-' pressed in tho letter, ,f lt appeared as if the Department, for the sako of a small economy, were deliberately aiming at loworing ,tho > efficiency of the schools." The Department would.not grant the money unless the books supplied by tho grant took the place of tho , second reader, , and - this was a retrograde. ' stop. ,■ "> ' t Mr.'Fleming (the board's senior inspector), ' at tho desire of members, placed the position in n nutshell. Ho agreed with tho Auckland ' Board as to tho necessity of having two -readers, hut disagreed as 'to the desirablenoss of having two miscellaneous readers, which was what tho Auckland Board wanted. Their" own policy was for tho übo of a continuous reader—n continuous' story—as a second reader, and since theso could bo bought vory cheaply, about 3d. each, tho Government grant sufficed to covor:the cost. It would.not suflico to meet' the cost of a miscellaneous reader, - which was about lOd. or la. For their part, they were quite satisfied with tho conditions ' attached to tho grant. Tho board's secretary (Mr. G. L. Stowart) said that the cost this year would bo about 10 per cent, over tho grant, as in pursuance of the board's wish, some consideration had been extended to -tho booksollors who had stocked supplies in ignoranco of tho grant. ■ Ordinarily, tho grant would bo sufficient. It was 'decided to acquaint the Auckland 'Board with tho viows held by th,o Wellington Board's inspectors on the question. '.