Schoolbook publishers say they revised only 2.5% of titles

Schoolbook publishers say they brought out new editions of just over one-in-50 titles last year and income from sales is down despite the continuing rise in student numbers.

As a recent survey showed, a jump of almost €50 in the average spend on books for second-level students, the firms say revenues fell 2.5% to €50m in 2014.

The Irish Educational Publishers’ Association (IEPA) said a survey of its members shows just 63 (or 2.5%) of their 2,544 schoolbook titles were revised last year, more than half due to curriculum changes.

The Irish League of Credit Unions (ILCU) reported last month that parents would spend €213 on books for second-level students, up from €166 a year ago, but primary book bills are down very slightly to €106.

Families and schools have blamed new editions for rising costs as it limits how many books can be bought second-hand or loaned from their school.

Schools that did not have rental schemes are getting an extra €15m over three years to set them up, with some funding also given this year for those with existing schemes to update stock.

But IEPA general secretary Cliodhna O’Donoghue said parental surveys do not suggest extra money for loan schemes is being reflected in savings for families.

“You might expect to see the Department of Education investment being reflected in either reduced costs for parents, or much lower contributions that schools look for, but it hasn’t,” she said.

The IEPA says revenues are down by more than €8m since 2007, in which time pupil numbers went up by nearly 85,000 to 883,900, and that income fell from €64.62 to €56.62 for every student in the same time.

National Parents’ Council-Post Primary president Don Myers said the findings are not contested but families are still not benefiting from any reduction in costs.

“Publishers should do more to bring down prices, books are extraordinarily expensive and one of the main costs of sending a child to school,” he said.

“Schools also need to involve parents more, by considering prices when deciding booklists and passing on any discounts they get for bulk purchases for rental schemes. But they are also finding it harder to set them up because of restrictions on middle management appointments,” Mr Myers said.

Latest Department of Education figures show that 90% of primary schools now run rental schemes, up from 77% since 2011, but just over two-thirds of second-level schools have one.