THE WRITING OF SCHOOL TEXTS.
Sta,—It is not surprising that a school book takes a year to write. Unlicis written by-a retired teacher, it must be a spare-time production. Theie. must be many illustrations—say, a hundred. If these are original draw- ings, their production at the rate of one-a day will occupy every evening for the best part of six months. Borrowed illustrations involve an astonish- ing amount of correspondence before photograph oriblock can be delivered to their new publisher. In addition to the travail of composition, there is the mechanical labour of typewriting to be performed by one who is presumably not an expert ; the number of words to be typed in draft and otherwise runs to about three times the number in the. completed text. Only a facile author careless about accuracy or relying on old facts could prepare a well-illustrated text in a short time. Provision of secre- tarial aid and a recognition of writing as part of the official . duties of teachers would appreciably help the new generation.—Yours faithfully,
35 Tennyson Road, Harpenden, Hens. HUGH NICOL,
Previous page
