The Consumer Council is disappointed with the rising price of textbooks even after the debundling of some textbooks with their associated teaching materials.
According to recent textbook price survey of the Council, the average price rise of debundled textbooks was lower than those without separate prices for textbooks and teaching materials. However, the average price of debundled textbooks still rose by 0.8% instead of having a downward adjustment; while those without debundling rose by an average of 4.2%.
The Council's annual survey covered a total of 944 commonly used textbooks (317 for the primary sector and 627 for the secondary sector), among which 263 (27.9% of all surveyed textbooks) were debundled; while 681 (72.1% of all surveyed textbooks) remained bundled with teaching materials.
Primary school textbooks
Out of the 317 commonly used primary school textbooks (155 for Primary 1-3 and 162 for Primary 4-6) in the survey, an overall average increase of 2.1% in price (including debundled and yet-to-be debundled textbooks) was recorded. The highest average price increase was found in textbooks for General Studies, at 5.1%, followed by Putonghua textbooks, at 4.2%.
The average price increase of the 173 debundled textbooks of primary school (54.6% of commonly used primary school textbooks) was 0.6% while an average increase of 4.0% in price was found in the remaining 144 primary school textbooks without separate pricing.
Secondary school textbooks
An overall average price increase of 3.8% was recorded in commonly used secondary school textbooks (including debundled and yet-to-be debundled textbooks), in which average price increases of 2.9% and 4.3% were recorded in junior and senior secondary textbooks respectively. The average prices of textbooks for subjects Tourism and Hospitality Studies, and Design and Technical Studies remained unchanged, but a rise in average price from 1.1% to 5.3% was noted in other textbooks. The highest average price increase was found in Combined Science at 5.3%.
The average price increase of the 90 secondary school debundled textbooks (14.4% of the commonly used secondary school textbooks) was 1.2%, while an average price increase of 4.2% was found in the remaining 537 secondary school textbooks (85.6% of the commonly used secondary school textbooks) which had not been debundled.
Textbook publishers cited rising costs of rent, labour, printing, copyright royalties and transport for the price increase. They also attributed the price rise to the decrease in student number in junior secondary school and some of the Senior Secondary subjects; and the design of New Senior Secondary Curriculum.
A consistent price change trend in all textbooks, as seen in previous years, was not observed in this year's survey. There were price drops and price freezes in some textbooks.
Among the commonly used textbooks surveyed, 57 textbooks (6.0% of all surveyed textbooks) recorded a drop in price. They were textbooks in Primary Chinese Language and Mathematics, Senior Secondary elective Geography, Liberal Studies, and Chinese Language, with a drop in price ranging from 0.8% to 23.9%. As well, a freeze in price was recorded in 124 textbooks (13.1% of all surveyed textbooks).
According to the Census and Statistics Department, there was an increase in Composite CPI of 5.5% averaged in the preceding 12-month period ended May 2012 compared with the same period in the previous year. The overall average price increases for secondary and primary school textbooks (including debundled and yet-to-be debundled textbooks) were 3.8% and 2.1% respectively.
As cost of teaching materials was regarded as a major component to the production cost of textbooks, consumers may expect that by debundling the teaching materials from that of the textbooks, there should be room for reduction in textbook prices. Yet, the price effect of textbook debundling this year is not as obvious as expected.
The continuous increase of prices of textbooks will no doubt add to the burden of parents.
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