Minister of Education and Youth Maxine Henry-Wilson yesterday warned primary-school teachers to refrain from giving students unnecessary booklists, noting that the required books are provided by the ministry free of cost.

"We continue to be determined that schools should not be sending to parents, (of) especially children in primary schools, these hefty booklists because they are being provided by the Ministry," Mrs. Henry-Wilson said at a back-to-school press conference, held at the Ministry's Heroes Circle, Kingston, head offices.

"If the school has a particular preference, then they have to find a way to ensure that the children have access to those books, but the books we are sending them are the books that are compatible with the new revised primary curriculum where we have all the teachers' guides that go with them," the minister added.

$1b spent on textbooks

Mrs. Henry-Wilson said that $1 billion has been spent on textbooks for the upcoming academic year. She noted that 700,000 workbooks and textbooks have been ordered for students in grades one to six, adding that these books are already on the island and will be delivered to schools on time.

She also told reporters that contracts valued at $610 million have been awarded to four companies to supply and distribute books for the national textbooks rental scheme for high schools.

Mrs. Henry-Wilson said preparation for the 2007/2008 school year is well advanced, adding that some $1.5 billion has been allocated to bring schools to a state of readiness for the new academic year.

She noted that 11 schools would abandon the shift system come September, and another 100 during the course of the year.