HOPEWELL, Hanover - Member of Parliament for East Central St James Edmund Bartlett is calling on the Jamaica Teacher's Association (JTA) to ensure that primary school teachers refrain from insisting that parents purchase school books, which their children do not need.

Bartlett who is also the shadow tourism spokesman argued that the practise has had a negative effect on the minds of children whose parents can't afford to meet the demands of purchasing these books.

"I call on the JTA and all my friends in the teaching profession to take a good look at what they are doing to the psyche of the Jamaican children. Why are you burdening them with this unachievable task of finding 23 or more text books for children at primary school level?".

"The issue of books and the enormously long book lists is driving everybody crazy and I want the minister (of education) and everyone to appreciate it. Recently people came to me with book lists for primary school children-- 23 books on the lists".

Noting that Government provides most of the "prescribed texts in the primary schools", Bartlett appealed to parents to refuse from purchasing the books which their children will not use.

" I want to say parents take a position too. The ministry have published a list of the required texts".

Bartlett was speaking Sunday at the inaugural staging of the Hanover Hope Education Scholarship held at the Smoked Marlin Restaurant in Hopewell, Hanover.

The initiative is the brainchild of Jamaica Labour Party caretaker for Eastern Hanover, Paula Kerr-Jarrett.

Fourteen of the constituency's top performers in the recent GSAT were awarded scholarships with an overall value of $500,000. The scholarships will assist parents in the children's back to school expenses.

Kerr Jarrett expressed gratitude to the members of Hanover Hope Education Scholarship Committee.

" It would be remiss of me not to extend sincere gratitude to the members of the Education Committee, who did the research necessary to formulate this scholarship, as well as to the principals and other stakeholders within the educational fraternity who graciously accepted our offer to support the education of the recipients," Kerr Jarrett said.