‘A good newspaper is a nation talking to itself’

Reference is made to your article in Thursday’s Fiji Sun on page 31 on the above mentioned subject.

According to Rosy Akbar, the Minister for Education, the Ministry spent $11 million in the past five years to supply free text books to schools.

However, she was very saddened to note that the school heads continued to send the same request year after year.

There was obviously something wrong in the management, care and control of text books given by the government.

This a serious issue where tax payer money is used to fund this project.

Textbooks are perhaps, the most expensive component in a students’ education. Therefore, the textbooks need to be handled with utmost care.

Heads of all recipient institutions must be made accountable for the textbooks given to their institutions.

Buying, stamping, numbering and giving out textbook is an easy exercise.

But these books must be treated before being given out to students.

Therefore, each school must have a text book bank where books are treated, recorded in a data base and then given out to students with the strict condition that in the event of loss or damage the students will have to pay or give a replacement.

Without the onus or responsibility the students do not have the same respect for books as when they have to buy them. Parents must also be involved in the care of textbooks.

The weakest part of a textbook is its spine which is likely to break easily if not reinforced with staples.

Spines must carry three staples to make them firm.

The next step is to stamp and give serial numbers.

Thereafter, to apply clear varnish on the edges of pages so that they become water proof.

Pages have a tendency to absorb moisture from the hands of students while handling the books: sweat and saliva are common sources of moisture.

When this happens the pages tend to swell and the life of the textbook is reduced. After this the books must be covered with clear plastic.

This will virtually make it waterproof.

Thus, giving it a longer life.

Each school must appoint teachers who would be responsible to look after the textbook bank.

A separate storage and working room is essential if we want to solve this problem. Keeping computer records will help detect any stealing or dishonesty amongst students.

As the principal of Bhawani Dayal Arya College for a period of 10 years (1990 to 1999) I enforced this very successful textbook bank scheme.

I am willing to help any institution who seeks help in this regard (M 9996767) or even the Ministry of Education.

Free textbooks for children is one of the greatest achievements of the current government.