Hong Kong’s consumers are facing a 4% average increase in the cost of textbooks for primary and secondary schools, marking the highest increase in eight years. This rise, revealed in a recent survey by the Consumer Council, has been attributed to several factors, including a decrease in student numbers and the increasing demand for electronic teaching materials.
The survey, which covered 897 textbooks from 25 publishers, found that over 90% of widely used textbooks for the 2023/24 school year saw price increases. The overall price rise of 4.0% is the highest since 2015 and is 1.9 percentage points higher than the inflation rate for the same period.
The Consumer Council noted that the decrease in student numbers over the past six years, which has seen a reduction of over 38,000 students, has led to a contraction in the textbook market. This, combined with the growing demand for electronic teaching materials, has driven up the cost of printing textbooks, which has been passed on to consumers in the form of higher prices.
The survey also found that while the number of textbooks not included in the Education Bureau’s Recommended Textbook List (RTL) has decreased slightly from 21% last year to 19% this year, the majority of textbooks remain outside the RTL.
The Consumer Council warned that the rising cost of textbooks is placing a heavier financial burden on parents, who are increasingly concerned about the affordability of educational materials.
The rising cost of textbooks is a concern for many parents, said a spokesperson for the Consumer Council. With the increasing use of electronic teaching materials, it is important that the government supports the development of affordable and accessible digital resources to help alleviate the financial burden on families.
The Consumer Council has called on the government to review the textbook pricing system and to explore ways to make educational materials more affordable for students and their families.
The government should consider implementing measures to control textbook prices and to ensure that educational materials are accessible to all students, regardless of their family’s financial situation, said the spokesperson.
The Consumer Council’s survey also highlighted the importance of transparency in textbook pricing. The council recommended that publishers provide clear information about textbook prices and any changes to the cost of textbooks.
The public has a right to know the cost of textbooks and how prices are determined, said the spokesperson. Publishers should be transparent about their pricing policies and provide clear information about any factors that may contribute to price changes.
The Consumer Council’s survey is a timely reminder of the challenges faced by parents in Hong Kong as they try to provide their children with a quality education. With textbook prices rising and the increasing cost of living, parents are under growing pressure to ensure their children have access to the resources they need to succeed.
The Consumer Council’s call for a review of the textbook pricing system and for greater transparency in pricing is a step in the right direction. With the government’s support, it is possible to make educational materials more affordable and accessible for all students in Hong Kong.
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