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The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 75

Text Books

Text Books.

At the last Annual Meeting, the question of School reading-books and histories was considered, and was referred to a large and representative Committee. This Committee determined to refer the question of Infant Readers to the matrons of the schools in and around Dunedin, and the question of Standard Readers and Histories to a sub-committee consisting of Messrs. White. Smith, Rennie, Kyle, Jeffery, South wick, and Eudey. This Committee, after long and careful deliberation, drew up the following report, which was forwarded to the Education Board by the Committee of Management.

page 10
The Committee recommended the following Readers:—
1.For Standard Classes.
(a).Longman's New Readers (New edition), or
(b).

Nelson's Crown Readers.

In order of preference.

2.For Infant Classes.
(a).Nelson's Crown Series, or
(b).Chambers's Fluent Series, or
(c).Longman's Ship Series.

As selected by Matrons of Dunedin and Suburban Schools.

With regard to Histories, the Committee recommended:—

1. For Small Schools Where Stds. Are Grouped:—
(a).Blackwood's Short Stories for Std III.
(b).Chamber's Senior History for Stds. IV. V. and VI.

2. For Large Schools Where Stds. IV. V. and VI. and Under Different Teachers:—

Arnold's Historical Reader. No. 7, for Std. VI. No. 6. for Std. V.; No. 5. for Std. IV.; No. 4. for Std. III.

If the Board thought it preferable to have a single volume for the three upper Stds., the Committee recommended Chamber's Senior History for these; and the retention of Blackwood's Short Stories for Std. III.

If it is preferable to have a single volume for the Standards, the Committee recommends that Chambers's Senior History take the place of Gardiner's History for Standards 4, 5, and 6, and that Blackwood's Short Stories be retained for S. 3.

page 11
The Education Board referred the matter to the Inspectors, who reported:—

"The superiority (if any) of the readers recommended by the Institute over those in present use is not, we think, sufficiently great to justify us in advising the Board to make the charge. An entire change of readers would entail a heavy expense on parents—an expense that only very decided improvement in matter and manner would justify.

With respect to history, we advise the Board to adopt the teacher's recommendation to substitute Chamber's Senior History for Gardiner's. To enable the children to work off their old books (Gardiner's) the change should, we thing, begin in Std. IV.

The Board decided to adopt the recommendation of the Inspectors, and has since issued a circular authorising the use of Chambers's Senior History, which is admittedly easier and at the same time better adapted for use in Country Schools. The Committee of Management again communicated with the Board giving its reasons for desiring a change, and the letter was referred to the Board's Books Committee.