New bill aims to save money on school books
Publishers would not be allowed to print new editions of textbooks without Education Ministry approval
The Knesset Education Committee has drawn up a new bill that aims to save parents from unnecessary annual expenses on school textbooks, Yedioth Ahronoth reported on Monday.
The new bill, sponsored by MK Uri Ariel (National Union), would prevent publishers from printing new editions of textbooks without prior permission from the Education Committee.
Currently, publishers frequently reprint new versions of school books, forcing parents to buy the new editions each year. The significant expense involved is a burden on many families and is widely felt to be unnecessary, especially when older siblings already have the same textbooks in earlier editions.
Under the proposed regulations, changes in textbooks will only be permitted when there is a change in the curriculum that has been approved by the Education Ministry. New editions will carry a special symbol for easy identification to ensure parents only buy new books that are required.