The business school textbooks is shaking – publico

                 

                         
                     

                 

 
 

The government of António Costa decided this year to provide textbooks to all students of the 1st year. In numbers, we are talking about 80,000 children and three million

This means three things: a.) In the academic year 2017/18 will be sold fewer books; b) publishers have good reason to be concerned, and c) finally, there is an official measure to try to change things and take the first step towards the re-use of manuals, a good thing for the scholarship of the Portuguese and to the sustainability of planet.

of course, not all books of this first “generation” of 80,000 students will be reused. But many will surely

The idea is that, at the end of the year, families return the books so that the Government can offer them to new students -. And so on. The plan is to extend the model, which will transform the textbook market even more radical way.

Portuguese law says textbooks should last six years, but all the Portuguese with children know that not this is what happens. Not only there is a reuse culture, as anyone who tries to do it – the individual or corporate level – facing weight obstacles. Thus for years.

As we are rookies, the level of uncertainty is reasonable. Children will learn to estimate the books? Teachers will ask that students do not write anything, even when publishers include point exercises, as if this was not the role of chips books associated with each manual? Curricula will remain stable? The Government will not change the learning goals?

In poor countries like Switzerland, the manuals are provided by the state and are all year in school. They are used only in the classroom. In Portugal, as we are a country without financial problems, hear mainly reserves when it comes to reuse.

The National Confederation of Parents’ Associations said reuse can “limit the spontaneous use of books by children “and the National Association of Groupings and public Schools Directors believes that” some families with more possessions, might want to buy the books in order to keep for sentimental issues. “

the most interesting public intervention, however, it was the Commission’s School Book of APEL. On 25 August, when many parents have not bought or raised the books offered by the state, the commission issued a statement. To say what? For, among other things, “to emphasize that, despite the measure announced by the government, many families are buying textbooks for the 1st year.” Who? Especially the rich, who wanted to “take advantage of discounts in bookstores and the possibility of deducting the costs in personal income tax,” but also because, being the child owners will be able to use them so “free”. Buy a new book may be a matter of freedom, but reuse a school book is surely a matter of ethics and good management.

Still, the best comes at the end. The committee APEL stresses that the “purchase of textbooks is of the things that weigh less on back to school” because families spend more on clothes and shoes than in manual. This comparison, even legitimized by ancient and international surveys habits, is the strange minimum. Manual, by law, should last six years. But hardly a child uses the same coat between six and 12 years

We can not forget that the Committee on School Book of APEL has only two members:.. Porto Editora and Leya

the rules of the game are changing and the big publishers are restless. Only Book in Loop, a new digital business of buying and selling of used books sold this summer seven thousand books, with a turnover of 70 thousand euros.

Finally, the business is shaking.