Where are the books?

THE SPECTACLE of primary and secondary schools reopening after the long vacation without students having the prescribed text books is a most unsatisfactory one. On the face of it, it seems to indicate a lack of proper planning and sense of urgency since there was more than ample time to order the books from the publishers and have them delivered here before the beginning of the school term. This apparently was not done and we now have a confusing situation where some schools have received books for some subjects while many others have begun the new term without the necessary texts.

The books which are to be used in the areas of reading, mathematics, language arts and science are yet to be delivered to schools, principals reported. Checks by Newsday yesterday confirmed that primary schools in Port-of-Spain and along the East-West Corridor have not yet received their books, although the Principal of Curepe Presbyterian Samuel Bejai said, "we are not making that a problem." In our view, however, it is a problem since many schools will be taking a much longer time to settle down and get started on the curriculum. Also, we find excuses given for this delay in providing the books unacceptable. An official at the Ministry told Newsday that the ship bringing in the science books for standard one and infants was "a little late," but that the vessel should be here in time to permit delivery by the end of this week. Also, communications specialist at the Education Ministry Mervyn Critchlow explained that the Ministry was not the one responsible for delivering the books to primary schools — that was the duty of publishers and booksellers. But this excuse appears to be an attempt to shift the blame since the responsibility of providing the books to the schools is the Ministry's and there should have been a more effective collaboration between the two parties.

One bookseller, contracted to provide the science textbook, admitted that the books were not available in time for the opening because of "late ordering" but assured that they would be in the country by yesterday. Late ordering? Why? Didn't they know when the new term was due to begin? We appreciate that the Ministry is undertaking a new system of providing books for pupils and students of primary and secondary schools with the aim of relieving parents of that burden which, at the higher level, could be quite expensive. But this has not been a hastily devised plan, it was worked out in detail after it was decided to change the $1,000 book grant cheque to an ABM card which would ensure that parents use the money to obtain the necessary books rather than spend it on other things. The card is to be given to parents of students in forms three, four and lower six; a textbook loan programme has been organised to assist students in forms one and two while textbooks would be provided for all pupils in primary schools. As far as the cards are concerned, we understand one of the problems has been caused by parents who have not applied for them. Why this level of non-compliance? When cheques were being given in the previous year, the big concern among parents was when would they be collecting the money. Cards? Well... How well these three textbook support programmes will work is left to be seen; we can only hope they would be more successful than the effort to get them in place on time.