Debunking myths about three-in-one workbooks

PETALING JAYA: Three-in-one workbooks do exist but not all schools choose to use them and the prices are not three times more expensive as alleged by some parents.
A headmaster who did not want to be named told China Press on Saturday that there were indeed schools which had opted to use these workbooks.
However, he stressed that not all schools had placed orders for them.
Neither were schools which ordered them attempting to circumvent the Education Ministry's directive that schools are allowed to use only one workbook for each subject for pupils in Year Four to Six as a means to reduce pupils' schoolbag load, he said.
"The ministry has a (new) policy; we have a solution (to the policy), and three-in-one workbooks are publishers' response to the ministry's "one workbook per subject" directive.
"For example, in the past, there were separate workbooks for comprehension and essays, now publishers combine comprehension and essays and come out with just one "more wholesome" workbook, which is in fact favoured by teachers."
On Saturday, Deputy Education Minister Datuk Chong Sin Woon said there were complaints from parents that schools were selling three-in-one workbooks.
These three-in-one workbooks are three times thicker and three times more expensive, according to the parents.
"It seems some schools are trying to challenge the ministry," Chong said while warning these schools against doing so.
According to the daily, it is learnt that three-in-one workbooks are sold at RM10-10.50, about double the price of the standalone workbooks, which fetch between RM4.90 and RM5.50 each.
Meanwhile, the National Union of the Teaching Profession has urged the ministry to investigate complaints by parents and take stern action against "errant school headmasters".