School books are not as expensive as they seem claim the publishers of educational textbooks.
The Association of Educational Book Publishers conducted a survey to examine the price of school books. Undertaken by accounting firm Coopers and Lybrand it found that less than three pence per day is spent on new school books in Ireland for each family.
Buying school books is something every parent dreads.
The average cost that a family will pay for school books per year is £40, compared to £400 on alcohol and £300 on tobacco.
Hubert Mahony, chairman of the Association of Educational Book Publishers explains that they are not making a direct comparison between luxury items and school books, but that the amount of the family budget going towards education is a small figure.
He maintains that the increase in the cost of school books is less than the average increase in consumer prices, and therefore,
In relative terms, school books are cheaper than they were a number of years ago.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 14 June 1983. The reporter is Michelle McCaughren.
