Education: Letter - `Useless' books cast a gloom
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.As a retired meteorologist and school governor, I recently examined the content of 10 books about the weather written for primary schools. They were so full of errors and half-truths as to be next to useless. The frequent peddling of wrong or out-of-date facts and ideas made it clear that the authors had so little grasp of their subject that they merely copied or misunderstood others, without knowing where to seek reliable sources. Attractive appearance is no substitute for truth.
Are there not likely to be similar problems with books on other subjects and at other stages in the curriculum? With the current emphasis on education, how can publishers make sure that their books are worth reading by busy teachers and their pupils?
David Pedgley, Crowmarsh, Oxfordshire
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments