Re-use 50% of textbooks: MoE
View(s):The Ceylon Teacher’s Union (CTU) said the Ministry of Education (MoE) last week directed National and Provincial schools to reuse at least 50% of the text books distributed to Primary and Secondary schoolchildren.
CTU General Secretary Joseph Stalin said that, getting 50% of the used textbooks for re-distribution will be a difficult task, as the used textbooks will be ragged and torn and not be in a fit state to use. “Most often the covers are torn and carelessly handled with the use of markers and underlining,” he said. Earlier, only 20% of the text books were redistributed.
Also, he said that, in re-distributing 50% of the textbooks, only 50% of the schoolchildren will receive new books, placing teachers in a quandary as to the distribution, because some of the students can feel discriminated,” he said.
Further, this time, the textbooks for distribution has its prices marked behind it. The CTU concedes the price-marking is a hint at driving children to buy their own textbooks, if they are not happy with the used textbooks distributed to them.