1. The Ministry of Education is piloting an initiative to improve textbook availability at the beginning and end of each school year. This initiative provides a window period for pupils to order the required textbooks at their school bookshops in Singapore. The aim is to guarantee that each pupil gets a set of the textbooks he requires if he orders from his school bookshop during the window period. Some schools have already established similar schemes which are working well. The window period will be staggered for the respective levels across all schools to enable publishers to gauge their stock supply and correct any shortfalls quickly.

2. The window period for the primary level is from the 3rd week of November to the 1st week of December. The window period for the secondary two, three and four levels is from the 2nd week of November to the 1st week of December and for the secondary five level, from the 1st week of December to the 2nd week of December. Secondary one pupils will place their orders during the last two weeks of December as the result of their posting to secondary schools is released much later. The commencement dates for the window periods of the respective levels may be adjusted by the schools and may begin in early Nov to accommodate their programmes. However, the end dates are fixed in order to enable publishers to take stock of the situation.

For 1999, the dates for textbook orders are:

Primary level

· P2-6 : 15 Nov – 30 Nov 1999

· P1 : 1 Dec – 3 Dec 1999

Secondary level

· S2 : 9 Nov – 20 Nov 1999

· S3-4 : 22 Nov – 3 Dec 1999

· S5 : 1 Dec – 11 Dec 1999

· S1 : 20 Dec – 27 Dec 1999

3. Pupils are required to submit their textbook orders during the specified period for the respective levels. School booksellers will be able to meet pupils’ orders and ensure that they get the books before the term begins in the following year.

4. For the successful implementation of the window period, a monitoring and communication system will be established in schools so that parents, pupils, teachers, school booksellers and publishers are kept informed of the availability and supply of textbooks in schools. Schools will alert their pupils and parents of revised availability dates, hotlines and other details. The Ministry of Education will also monitor the situation closely.

5. Parents who wish to seek clarifications should contact their children´s school. For general enquiries or feedback, they may call tel: 731 9830 during office hours, from 9 Nov 99 to 3 Dec 99.