Vol. 547 No. 1
1118 Mr. B. Hayes asked the Minister for Education and Science if he has instructed his Department to withdraw an offensive schoolbook which suggests that grandparents and the elderly should be exterminated; the way in which the book came to be recommended for use in schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1223/02]
Textbooks and activity books are not part of the prescribed curriculum for schools. However, schools are free to use textbooks and other support material to support the implementation of the curriculum. My Department does not recommend specific textbooks for use in schools. The selection of books and other materials to support teaching and learning is a matter for school authorities and teachers. The withdrawal of such material is also a matter for school authorities rather than my Department.
Editors of textbooks and activity books for use in primary schools select the content of such books. The material selected for inclusion in textbooks reflects the personal preferences of the editors. When selecting material for textbooks, editors are required to follow guidelines drawn up by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA).
I have referred the textbook to which the Deputy refers to the NCCA to determine whether it conforms to its specifications for textbooks for the English curriculum for primary schools. The advice to me from the NCCA is that the poem in question, and the approach suggested for teaching it do not conflict with the objectives of the English curriculum. The NCCA noted, however, that from the range of poetry suitable for use in primary schools available to publishers, there are many examples of considerably higher quality than this poem. I concur with this view and I would urge teachers and boards of management to avoid such offensive material when engaging in thought provoking sessions.
