PBC throws the book at Giertych plan

Representatives of the educational publishers' section of the Polish Book Chamber (PBC) are up in arms over some aspects of the government's "Cheap Book" program, which was recently announced by Minister of Education Roman Giertych. According to Giertych's plan, teachers of every school would decide on one textbook they want to use. The chosen title would then be purchased and used for four years.

According to publishers, the proposal to use just one title for four years will limit students' chances of learning, as teachers will not be able to tailor their lessons to students' individual requirements.

"A variety of textbooks gives the teacher the option of adjusting to a particular class's level of education and knowledge," said Piotr Marciszuk, head of the educational publishers section of the Polish Book Chamber. "Giving up the text books that are currently in use may also lead to chaos in schools and will make it harder to prepare students for the final tests."

According to the Ministry of Education, the publishers will have an opportunity to present their concerns, as the Polish Book Chamber has the status of "cooperative partner" in the parliamentary education commission.

"The proposed bill is already in the Sejm and publishers will have a chance to participate in meetings of the education commission," said Krystyna Kiermowek, from the Ministry of Education. "Maybe the commission will treat the publishers' concerns with greater understanding," she adds.

According to Marciszuk, the introduction of this law could lead to the bankruptcy of smaller publishing houses, as schools would choose the cheapest books, produced by the biggest publishers. This situation would further the trend towards market consolidation.