RICE WANTS STATE TO LOOK INTO LACK OF TEXTBOOKS FOR URBAN STUDENTS

Says NJ Students, Particularly in Urban Areas, Need Hard Copy Textbooks to Review at Home, Will Introduce Bill Mandating Individual Textbooks if Necessary

TRENTON – State Senator Ronald L. Rice, D-Essex, the Co-Chair of the Joint Legislative Committee on the Public Schools, said today that the State should look into the lack of textbooks for urban students, and said that he would be willing to introduce legislation if necessary to require schools to purchase enough textbooks so that each student can get their own.

“I’ve been raising this issue for a number of years, because I hear from irate parents who want to know why their children have not been issued textbooks,” said Senator Rice, D-Essex. “It doesn’t make sense on one hand to expect our kids to do well in school, and on the other not give them the tools they need to achieve classroom success. In my opinion, a ‘thorough and efficient’ education, as guaranteed by our State Constitution, should come with textbooks that students can bring home with them to do homework and study for exams.”

Click here to read the rest of Senator Rice's news release.

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