Lycée textbooks six weeks late

HALF a million schoolchildren will start lycée next week without textbooks because of a printing delay.

Fifteen-year-olds starting seconde - the first year of lycée - have been told they may have to wait until mid-October for the books to be supplied.

Six subjects are affected: history, geography, physics, economics, management and biology.

The delay has arisen because of government reforms to the lycée curriculum, which were passed in April.

Publishers say they have not had enough time to compile the new textbooks.

Samples did not reach teachers in time for them to place their order for the new academic year.

The Syndicat National de l'Edition, which represents textbook printers, said its aim was for every student to have their textbooks by mid-October.

"We've done as much as we can, but we don't have a magic wand," union representative Pascale Gélébart told the Journal du Dimanche.

Teachers say it will be difficult to provide lessons without textbooks. They have criticised the tight timetable applied to the lycée curriculum reforms.

Printers have sent electronic PDF versions of the manuals to teachers to use until the printed versions are ready.

The new curriculum has meant most of the textbooks for seconde students have had to be revised.

The cost of buying new textbooks this year is estimated at €240, up from €100.

Since 2004, regional councils have helped pay for the books, either through direct payments to schools or vouchers to families.

However, many councils this year are refusing to meet the increased cost, meaning families will have to make a contribution to the books.

The new academic year begins next Thursday, September 2.

Photo: Elvire.R/flickr. Licensed under Creative Commons