Textbook prices are set to rise by up to 5.2% for primary and secondary schools next semester, a Consumer Council survey has found. The figure far exceeds the average rise of 1.5% in the Composite Consumer Price Index in the last 12-months.

The burden on parents could have been higher had it not been for a sharp drop of 16.1% in the subject music. Otherwise, the four major subjects of Chinese and English language, mathematics and general studies have jointly accounted for an average rise of 6.1%.

English language recorded the biggest average increase - 8.1% for primary schools and 9.7% for secondary ones.

While paper and printing costs remained unchanged in the surveyed period, publishers have laid blame on two major factors for the price hike.

The first was increased overheads, such as staff cost in writing and developing textbooks specially geared for the 3-3-4 new academic structure for senior secondary and higher education. The increase in oil prices was also attributed to higher logistics costs, rents and interest payable to banks. Fierce competition also drove publishers to provide support services to schools, such as teacher training and development of school-based curriculum learning materials.

Shrinking market

The second was a shrinking market, due to falls in the number of students and a lower birth rate.

Schools that launch a school-based curriculum provide students with learning materials developed in-house, reducing the demand for textbooks.

In response, the Education & Manpower Bureau said any cost spent on developing learning resources other than the textbooks should be accounted for separately - and the materials sold separately - so textbook prices can be lowered, allowing parents to choose to buy only what is absolutely necessary.

It also said the preparations for the 3-3-4 academic structure and support services provided by the publishers should hardly be taken as a reason for raising prices.