school book rip off

newtogame

The publishing of new editions of secondary school books purely to increase the profits of publishers is a flagrant example of Rip Off Ireland.It prevents parents from passing on the books to siblings and/or buying books second hand.I am trying to start a campaign to stamp out this practice and would ask people to send emails to minister_okeeffe@education.gov.ie and to info@asti.ie and info@secretariat.ie .The only time a new edition is accecptable is when there is a major change to the curriculum.Teachers have a role to play in this too as do the various secondary school associations.

Raiser

Wow - I was just thinking this while reading about Batt O'Keeffe's cutbacks to the free book scheme in the Independent earlier today!!!!

My Mam was always on about this in the 80's, ie as early as I can remember, - Folens/Fallons et al fcuking with the books every year out of cynical, mindless greed :mad: The poor Woman had 5 children in Primary school and couldn't re-use a book for any of them.......

Strange how the fundamental basic rules of Maths, Grammar, Irish, Geography change EVERY September.

- Best of luck with this Newtogame and fair play to ya!!!!

newtogame

Thanks Raiser,I hope you send the emails .My kids are also almost finished but I swore when I had time I would try and do something about it.

DublinWriter

This needs to be tackled.

Unfortunately the schools are themselves complicit in the whole scheme as they usually get free teacher editions from the publishers.

Keep up the good work Raiser.

mike65

Yep a total scam of an operation. Its amazing how the curriculum is tweaked so to "require" a whole new book, rather than say a supplimentary booklet which could be issued but less profitable.

ejmaztec

Raiser wrote: »

Wow - I was just thinking this while reading about Batt O'Keeffe's cutbacks to the free book scheme in the Independent earlier today!!!!

My Mam was always on about this in the 80's, ie as early as I can remember, - Folens/Fallons et al fcuking with the books every year out of cynical, mindless greed :mad: The poor Woman had 5 children in Primary school and couldn't re-use a book for any of them.......

Strange how the fundamental basic rules of Maths, Grammar, Irish, Geography change EVERY September.

- Best of luck with this Newtogame and fair play to ya!!!!

Folens has turned the basic rules of maths into an art-form, with particular emphasis on addition and multiplication.

soc

When I was in Secondary School in Oz, you never bought any of the textbooks. The school, as standard, would hire them out to you for the year for a reasonable fee, and would refund the money (can't remember how much) upon return of the books, and the condition they were in. This is the sort of system that SHOULD be implemented over here (I think the US do it as well)

It's scandalous that you HAVE to buy books over here.

Alun

When I was a kid in the UK we got all our books free .. not sure if that's still the case mind you.

ejmaztec

Alun wrote: »

When I was a kid in the UK we got all our books free .. not sure if that's still the case mind you.

I had the benefit of that, and they didn't change every year, either. The doodles and scribblings of past pupils in a lot of the free books were also a source of entertainment.

newtogame

If you are angry about this make sure to send the emails and tell your friends to do it too.You never know maybe someone will listen.

gsxr1

bump

luap2007

Its crazy how they change the books each year!

thesimpsons

yes its crazy but they are a business and they need to drum up annual business. However whats even crazier is where teachers insist on pupils having the new version. Whats wrong with pupils just being told to read the chapter on xxx - it shouldn't matter if its Chapter 5 or 15. I know when I was in school there could be 4 different editions of a book in the class and guess what, used our heads to work out which chapter we were studying and all managed to pass our LC very well. Granted some maps, charts and such might need updating but not with the regularility that the publishers would have you believe. There also needs to be alot of thought put into the amount of workbooks which primary school pupils are using as workbooks cannot be passed down to other kids in the family or sold on.

0230774

This site let's u sell ur books online for free. It can take some of the financial pressure off.

JohnMarston

soc wrote: »

When I was in Secondary School in Oz, you never bought any of the textbooks. The school, as standard, would hire them out to you for the year for a reasonable fee, and would refund the money (can't remember how much) upon return of the books, and the condition they were in. This is the sort of system that SHOULD be implemented over here (I think the US do it as well)

Thats a really good idea, unfortunately we do things a*se-backwards here :pac:

I would propose they have the option of buying the amendments to a book (a small booklet with any revisions in the new addition) for a small fraction of the price

wmpdd3

A teacher in my school was so peeved off with this one year she bought each copy from the last years class and we bought them off her the next year.

It was a English poetry book, the syllabus has been the same with donkeys years and its still the same!