The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-08-18
SUPPLEMENTAL SCHOOL BOOKS.

SCHOOL BOOKS.
There seems to be something Of q
misrepresentation in the city as to the
present activities of the Topeka board
of education in the matter OF ordering
supplemental books for the use OF the
pupils in all grades of the public
schools. The people of this city were
quite right in waxing indignant at the
former practices of other boards in this
respect. Under them parents were
forced to provide their children with in
dividual books that were supplemental
to the ones selected for the various
grades in all of the schools of the state
by the state text book commission. This
practice had been INDUCED in to such
an extent that in some instances pu-
pills in certain grades had to be sup
piled individually with two or three
books on the same subject. This made
it burdensome to a degree for many
Topeka parents to keep their children
supplied with books in addition to pay
ing their share of taxes for the support
of the schools.
But the board of education has been
making progress in the right direction
in this matter of late. AS a matter OF
fact practically all of the individual
supplemental books have been done
away with, and parents from now on
will only have to supply their children
with the one set of books for each
grade which has been chosen by the
state text book commission. This will
cut down the school book bill of many
families by a big figure, as the state
text books come at a reasonable price
because so many of them are sold, and
because the supplemental books that
were previously demanded were always
about twice as expensive as the regu-
lar state text books.
Action has been taken, however, by
the board of education which will still
give children the advantages Of these
supplemental books that place them
in touch with a wider range of litera-
ture on all subjects than they would
get if they were confined simply to the
state text books. But now these sup
Elemental books are to be purchased,
not directly by the parents, but by the
board Of education out of the regular
school funds. They win form library.
as it were, for each grade in the
schools. Iner6 IS nothing III TIE StetLC
text book law which prohibits boards
of education from purchasing supple
mental books in this fashion, as they
come under the class of reference
books. Also the expense of buying these
books is of the minimum variety. They
will last on an average of from five
to six years and will be taken in ex-
change by book concerns at one-third
their original price. These books will
be covered and kept clean and will be
regularly fumisated SO there will be no
danger of diseases of one sort or an
other being scattered among the chit
dren. And, of course, parents who
might not care to have their children
handle books in common use can pro-
vide their children with supplemental
books of their own. But there is really
no danger in the use Of common books
in this fashion, as the practice is gen
eraI in many of the large school sys-
TENS of the country, and has never
PRODUCED untoward results.
1t would seem, therefore, that the
board of education has finally solved
this problem of supplemental books in
way that should be satisfactory TO
every one