A section of Kenyan publishers are planning to increase the cost of approved course books starting next academic year.
Publishers are pushing to increase the prices due to the rising cost of printing paper in the country that has led to a majority of them recording losses by retaining the same prices over time.
In a letter to the National Treasury and Ministry of Education, the publishers are pushing to have the textbook prices adjusted by 12 per cent in the next academic year.
“We hope in the 2023 academic year we will be allowed to increase our prices, otherwise our profit margins will continue to suffer,” chairperson of the Kenya Publishers Association stated.
To print the course books, publishers use imported printing papers mainly from countries such as China, India, and Egypt to meet the demand for producing books.
However, publishers are not mandated to adjust the prices of approved course books unless they receive direct authorisation from the government.
If the demands are approved, parents will have to pay more from January 2023 when the academic calendar reverts to normal.
The 2022 academic year has four terms with two national examinations set to be administered in the same period to cover the time lost at the height of the pandemic.
This squeezed academic calendar has forced parents to dig deeper into their pockets paying school fees four times in one calendar year.
The school terms have also forced parents to purchase books for the four terms and incur additional charges in line with the |Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) requirements.
