Parents are forking out more for textbooks for the new academic year.
The Book Industry Association of Jamaica (BIAJ) says it has not been able to absorb the increased costs as it did prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Latoya West-Blackwood, Director at the BIAJ, explained that the industry had to fork out between 15 and 20 per cent more for internationally published books and 10 and 15 per cent more to purchase locally produced books.
Mrs West-Blackwood said shipping costs have also increased.
She said the publishers have cited an increase in the cost of raw materials, such as paper, among the reasons for the significant movement in prices.
The price of paper has risen up to 30 per cent internationally, she said, noting the increase was due to supply chain issues, worsened by the Russia-Ukraine conflict in addition to the COVID-19 pandemic.
She also suggested rising energy costs locally have made it more difficult to compete with the rest of the world.
Mrs West-Blackwood said prior to the pandemic, the shift in the cost of books was between two and five per cent.
The BIAJ is in support of the production of digital copies of textbooks as a solution to the increased costs.
However, Mrs West-Blackwood sought to explain that the use of technology still has a cost.
People, she said, have the tendency to believe "once it's digital, it's either supposed to be free or very cheap". But she pointed to the additional costs being invested by stakeholders, saying it was "not a cheap thing" to create virtual environments that aid in teaching by incorporating students in the learning process.
The Ministry of Education and public schools can now make copies of licensed work for authorised purposes following an agreement signed last year between the ministry and Jamaica Copyright Licensing Agency (JAMCOPY).
The agreement also allows public schools to access digital copies of published materials within a secured space.
