Findings from the annual Consumer Affairs Commission (CAC) school textbook survey indicate that on average, the prices of school textbooks have increased by 6.61 per cent overall.
The survey was conducted during the period July 29 to August 2, 2024. Data were obtained from all parishes where bookstores were identified.
The average price increase in the Greater Kingston Metropolitan Region (GKMR) was 6.98 per cent, and 7.18 per cent in rural towns.
This year’s islandwide average price increase is lower than the average increase observed last year by 2.4 percentage points.
Additionally, it is two percentage points lower than the average increase observed last year in the GKMR, and 0.84 percentage point lower than the average increase observed last year across rural towns.
Director of Research at the CAC, Racquel White, said 64 bookstores were visited; however, data were obtained from 60 outlets – 20 in the GKMR and 40 in rural towns.
“The sample included 180 popular textbooks that were surveyed, and this was derived through our partnership with the ministry of education and youth, which assists us in identifying the most popular books that are submitted by the public schools islandwide, which have to submit their booklists to the Ministry for approval,” she explained.
There were 104 secondary-level, 64 primary-level and 12 infant-level popular textbooks, covering 19 subject areas.
“The results of the survey show that in terms of price increases over last year July 2023, when we last did the survey, the price increase was, on average, 6.61 per cent. This is about 2.4 percentage points lower than the increase observed last year which was nine per cent islandwide,” the CAC research director said.
Islandwide, most books (65 per cent or 109) recorded price increases between one `per cent and 10 per cent.
