St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1909-10-02
TEXT BOOK CHANGES.
TImss.BenscEat Vigorously Attacks Expensive
Fad Of State SehOol Beard. 80.

What necessity there is for thu
change of school books every yea
has never been made plain to the
average parent. The fad is becoming
an expensive one, and there should b.
an organized movement throughout
the State against it.
The Clarion is not one to jump al
conclusions and charge graft" to
officials as soon as things do not ap.
pear to be running just right, but il
would like an explanation Of this
change Of books business. The mat
ter has been the subject of comment
for many years, and at no time was
an explanation offered.
That the system" is both unfair
and expensive, there is no question.
On this subject the Times-D Democrat
speaks editorially as follows:
4 great many New Orleans parent
win be disagreeabIy surprised to-mor-
row when they learn of the vast
changes wrought in the list of text
books for use ii the public schools.
Although Che changes were ordered
by the State Board of Education last
spring, comparatively few lsymen
gave the matter a thought or realized
It's effect. When the schools open
Monday morning and the children re-
turn home with the lists of books
needed for their respective grades, it
viii be found, we are told, that four
out Of FIVE books in use last year have
been discarded, necessitating the pur-
chase of new ones in their places. In
other words, parents will pay a heavy
tax, as unexpected as it will be in
most cases unwelcome and onerous,
to crafty a passion for change On
the part of the textbook arbitrars
and to furnish additional profits for
the publishers. Thousands of perfect
~ good books, approved and adopted
no longer ago than 1905, must be
relegated to lumber rooms or trash
piles as so much waste paper.
TO families Of small means, where
every unexpected and unusual outlay
poses a difficult and worrisome prob
lem in finance, this textbook reyolu-
ton will work hardship. Even to
those between whose incomes and liy-
ing expenses there is a reasonable
margin it will prove exasperating,
particularly if no valid reason can be
assigned for the wholesale changes.
And this, we think is true of a large
percentage Of the present alterna-
ton Of the textbook list. It is stated
that the New Orleans school authori-
ties opposed the change as in most in
stances unnecessary. It is perfectly
we think, that change Of text
books in the elementary grades at
least is not to be defended. There is
usually little to choose between one
primer, or reader, or speller for in
stance, and another, so far as tie
purposes of instruction in these.
are concerned. Those that
the needs Of New Orleans child
rem in 1905 are equally welLsuited to
their present needs. Tn the case Of
text book dealing with the progress
sciences or studies-astronomy or
geography, Tor example-occasi0nal
may be justified as new dis
,overies render the old books inaecu-
rate or incomplete. But the number
changes thus defensible is extreme
small compared to the number of
changes the State Board has ordered
Nor does the limited system Of ex-
arranged by consent Of the
publishers greatly improve the situa-
ion. We understand that the cast
If text books. If in good condition,
will be taken, at a greatly reduced
'aluation, as part payment for new
of the same grades but no
'thers. As the pupil who is progress
ng must be supplied with books Of the
grade, this arrangement helps
ut little if at all. It seems ingen-
oualV devised, indeed to reduce the
'eneits of the exchange system to
he ftirrodnpihIn minirnsum