The decision to stop book subsidies for schools is not to cut resources but to reintegrate and rearrange the resources, Secretary for Education Eddie Ng said.
Speaking to reporters today, he said the subsidy scheme has been in existence for over 20 years, while reading habits have undergone considerable change as electronic reading has become increasingly popular.
There are other subsidies available for schools to purchase books and e-reading resources, he added.
He also said there were standing procedures and channels for consultation on the move, noting that most of the school councils were consulted before it was implemented.
