I am outraged to find that many pupils in many schools aren't allowed
to take textbooks home. Isn't this a recipe for poor lerning? If the
reason is that pupils don't return them at the end of the course,
then why don't they get a deposit from the pupils or ask them to buy
their own books? We are prepared to have literacy and numeracy
consultants, acchievement consultants,...... but we don't think that
textbooks are essential for learning??????????????? I have just
joined a sixth form college and am teaching two groups of repeat GCSE
Maths. You have guessed it - the students aren't issued with
textbooks. I have finished three weeks of ''teaching''. Everyday my
students ask me if they can take a textbook home, but with a stony
heart I have to say 'NO'. These students are dying to have a second
chance and this is what we are doing to them!!!! They have to repeat
the exam most probably because they didn't have a textbook at home to
work from in year11. What is our idea of teaching/learning??????

Puni Selvaratnam