Education Bureau 'closely monitoring textbook prices'
Secretary for Education Christine Choi said on Saturday that authorities are closely monitoring textbook prices, with data from her bureau showing a 3.6 percent increase for the upcoming school year. She was speaking after a newspaper reported recently that a full set of books for a student starting secondary school could cost up to HK$7,000. Choi noted that a textbook subsidy is provided to help…
Education Secretary Christine Choi has stated that the Education Bureau is closely monitoring textbook prices for the upcoming school year, noting a 3.6 percent increase. This comes after a report revealed that a full set of books for a secondary school student could cost up to HK$7,000. Choi explained that the government provides textbooks to low-income families, but she rejected calls to lower the eligibility threshold and reinstate the non-means-tested HK$2,500 student grant, which was scrapped in the 2025-26 school year.
She emphasized the need to provide targeted support to genuinely needy families, as resources are limited. Choi clarified that the universal HK$2,500 grant was a temporary measure during the Covid-19 pandemic and that returning to standard mechanisms is appropriate. The bureau has been in regular communication with publishers, urging them to keep costs low.
Regarding the teacher job market, Choi assured that 90 percent of this year's teaching graduates have already found employment, with the rest pursuing further studies or working as teaching assistants. She also highlighted the success of the "Study Tour in Hong Kong" brand, with over 10,000 applications received for various summer exchange programs offered by the city's eight publicly funded universities.
Written by urgent.news from RTHK News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
