Schoolbook publishers accused of 'sharp practice' over new editions

THE PRESIDENT of the Teachers’ Union of Ireland has accused schoolbook publishers introducing frequent new editions of textbooks of “sharp practice”.

Bernie Ruane said “the frequency of new text books is ridiculous, the syllabus hasn’t changed in the majority of subjects at all”.

She called on the Minister for Education to introduce protocols on the frequency of new editions, saying, “There needs to be a code of practice for book publishers where updates to books and workbooks are sold separately and not marketed as a new edition.”

In a statement yesterday, the Department of Education said apart from a small number of prescribed texts, “school textbooks are not approved or prescribed by the department. Decisions on which books to use are taken at local school level”.

The statement continued: “It’s unavoidable that some textbooks will become obsolete over time as textbooks change periodically to keep students’ work stimulating and content up to date.” It goes on to say: “The Minister urges schools to implement book rental schemes to minimise costs for parents and to ensure books are recycled.”

However, Ms Ruane said school book schemes were not a remedy. She said publishers frequently discontinued editions meaning that if a class size was larger than in the previous year, it was impossible to get extra copies of the same edition: “It’s frustrating for teachers to have three and four editions of the same book in the classroom. It’s a waste of teaching time.”