Textbooks are disappearing from Saskatchewan classrooms, but the culprit isn’t far away.
William Gulka, director of education for the Yorkdale School Division, points the finger at the increase in other information sources and the rapid rate at which new information becomes available.
Gulka, who overseas rural schools in the Yorkton, Sask., area, said his division has been moving away from textbooks for about 10 years.
“The information base has mushroomed tremendously.”
Gulka said the internet, magazines, photocopies and guest speakers are used to supplement textbook information.
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“Texts are more expensive than ever and you just can’t go and replace them every time something changes.”
Doug Willard, president of the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation, said contemporary school courses are not designed to support only one book. He said a single text doesn’t fulfill all the needs in a classroom. Using more than one source broadens the information for students.
“Some methods don’t lend themselves to direct textbook use,” Willard said. “They’re a good reference source and a place to start, but there’s no room for expansion.”
Saskatchewan’s education department creates a list of applicable resources when it develops a new curriculum. Teachers can adapt the list to suit their classes’ needs.
Resource-based learning has its critics. Willard said cost can be a problem because not all schools can afford expensive computer systems. Finding the additional resources can also take time and effort.
“It’s hard work for students to go and collect a variety of sources,” he said.
“It gets frustrating, and they start saying, ‘Just give me a book.’ It can be hard for them.”
Joy Bastness, executive director of the Saskatchewan Association of School Councils, agrees the move away from texts can be difficult, but says schoolchildren can benefit.
“It gives the students a multitude of avenues to look into.”
Reaction from the students has been mixed. Bastness said older children are affected more because they are expected to find information on their own.
Improvements necessary
Both Bastness and Willard agree more work is needed to make the new system easier on parents and students.
“The goal is set, but we’re not quite achieving it,” Bastness said.
“Parents can find it hard because they don’t have all the information to help their children,” she said.
“As well, studies can be hampered by limited resources. It really depends on the financial affluence of the school division.”
Gulka’s Yorkdale division got around the financial barrier by forming a partnership with the Yorkton Public School Division. Together, they formed a partnership with IBM Canada and now enjoy the latest in computer technology.
Students have access to electronic encyclopedias that can be updated regularly. As well, the division is in its second year of a program that is slowly replacing books with electronic texts.
“It was a major financial commitment,” Gulka said.
“We couldn’t have done it alone.”
