Sir, - The weight of the contents of children's schoolbags is raised by Dr James O'Shea, principal of Our Lady's Secondary School, Templemore (April 19th).
Publishers have recently been producing larger textbooks to cover an entire three or two year course in response to repeated requests from teachers who find that such textbooks often suit learning and revision purposes better than textbooks which cover only one year of a particular course.
However, I should point out that publishers also continue to produce single year "split" textbooks of the kind Dr O'Shea clearly prefers. Schools, students and parents have therefore a wide range of textbook types to choose from.
The provision of lockers for students is a decision for schools themselves, but schools which have done so appear to find that they are well worth the costs involved. Lockers can eliminate the need for students to carry all their books and equipment for practical subjects to and from school on a daily basis. - Yours, etc.,
Honorary Secretary,
The Irish Educational Publishers' Association,
Goldenbridge Industrial Estate, Inchicore,
Dublin 8.