Textbooks to be removed from bin after being ‘mistakenly’ dumped by school

A renowned Brisbane school will remove dozens of textbook from a skip after the Department of Education revealed it was a mistake to throw them out.

A Brisbane school is removing textbooks from a skip bin and packaging them up to donate to charities after a bungle almost saw the large quantity of books sent to the tip.

Pictures emerged earlier today of a skip filled with outdated academic textbooks at the Queensland Academy for Science, Maths and Technology in Toowong.

LNP education spokesman Christian Rowan tweeted a picture of the textbooks in the skip on Saturday morning and called for an explanation on why the books weren’t given to charity or other students.

Why is the .⁦@QLDLabor⁩ Palaszczuk Government wasting such educational resources? #qldpolpic.twitter.com/NtRVVRpx4N

— Dr Christian Rowan (@DrCRowanMP) March 6, 2021

“Given the huge financial expense of compiling what appears to be significant educational resources, surely there must be a better way of providing these to disadvantaged students or those who need access to educational resources rather than them being dumped,” he said.

“Regardless of whether they’re dated, there’s still a wealth of information that could be utilised by various students.”

Textbooks in a skip at Queensland Academy for Science Mathematics and Technology. Picture: Supplied

Questions from The Sunday Mail sparked inquiries from the Department of Education that uncovered the school’s mistake.

A spokesperson for the Department said the books were outdated textbooks and were part of a much larger original set.

“Those books were originally offered to staff, students, and local International Baccalaureate

schools. A significant number of books were accepted,” the spokesperson said.

“Due to a miscommunication between staff, remaining books were placed outside rather than

offered to charities as originally intended.

“The books are currently being removed and repackaged for distribution to charities as

originally intended.”

Originally published as Textbooks to be removed from bin after being ‘mistakenly’ dumped by school