MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1975
EDUCATION DEPARTMENT'S STATEMENT ON TEXTBOOKS
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THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT HAS NOT YET RECEIVED A COPY OF THE EDUCATION ACTION GROUP'S REPORT ON THE QUALITY OF LOCAL PRIMARY TEXTBOOKS,
IN REPLY TO PRESS QUESTIONS, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT TODAY EXPLAINED THAT IT WAS DIFFICULT TO COMMENT IN ANY DETAIL ON THE E.A.G.'S FINDINGS AT THIS STAGE BECAUSE THE ONLY KNOWLEDGE THE DEPARTMENT HAD OF THE SURVEY HAD COME THROUGH PRESS REPORTS.
+IT WOULD APPEAR THAT THE E.A.G. CONDUCTED THEIR SU: VEY WITHOUT REFERENCE EITHER TO THE CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE OR TO THE TEXTBOOKS COMMITTEE,+ THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
+THERE HAS CERTAINLY BEEN NO CONSULTATION WITH EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OFFICAILS. NOTE THAT, ACCORDING TO PRESS REFORTS, E.A.G. INTENDS TO DISCUSS THEIR FINDINGS WITH THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT. WE WOULD CERTAINLY WELCOME SUCH A DISCUSSION BUT WE SHOULD NEED TO SEE THE FULL REPORT AND HAVE TIME TO STUDY IT BEFORE WE MEET ANY E.A.G. REPRESENTATIVES. WE ARE CERTAINLY VERY SURPRISED THAT THE E.A.G. SHOULD HAVE ISSUED A PUBLIC STATEMENT WITHOUT AT LEAST SENDING US A COPY OF THEIR REPORT FIRST, HE SAID.
THE SPOKESMAN POINTED OUT THAT IF THE PRESS REPORTS WERE ACCURATE THE E.A.G. HAD APPARENTLY FAILED TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT RECENT CURRICULUM INNOVATIONS (FOR EXAMPLE, THE EXTENSION OF +ACTIVITY APPROACH+ IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS. THE CLOSE WORKING RELATIONSHIP BEING ESTABLISHED BETWEEN THE CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE AND EDUCATIONAL PUBLISHERS WHICH WAS ANNOUNCED SOME TIME AG), AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NINE-YEAR COMMON COURSE OF GENERAL E-USATION FOR PRIMARY ONE FORM 3 PUPILS).
HE ALSO STATED THAT IT WAS NOW GENERALLY KNOWN IN EDUCATIONAL CIRCLES THAT THE DEPARTMENT WAS MAKING A DETERMINED EFFORT TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION AT ALL LEVELS.
+THIS IS WHY THE CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE EXISTS, + HE EXPLAINED.
+THE PUBLICATION OF THE WHITE PAPER ON SECONDARY EDUCATION HAS MEANT THAT THE CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE IS GIVING FIRST PRIORITY TO JUNIOR SECONDARY CURRICULUM AND, AS THE E.A.G. KNOWS, A GREAT DEAL IS BEING DONE AT THIS LEVEL TO MAKE TE CURRICULU MORE RELEVANT PARTICULAR ATTENTION IS BEING PAID TO THE DEVELOPMEN OF TEXTBOOKS AND INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIAL DESIGNED TO ENCOU ALE MORE IMAGINATIVE TEACHING TECHNIQUES,
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/+THIS DOESN'T
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